report in The Sunday Times, Aug 27, 2023
…….. For opposition political parties represented in Parliament, the preoccupation appears to be preparing for a parliamentary election. Though there is no formal indication from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, their leaders do not want to take any chances. That it would take months rather than weeks is clear from President Wickremesinghe’s decision to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. ……
The latest round of talks came between the Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) led by Dullas Allahapperuma and the Uttara Lanka Sabhagaya (ULS) led by Wimal Weerawansa. The two sides met at the Communist Party office to discuss whether they could reach common ground. That was not good news for the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) which had hoped to wrap up an alliance with the FPC, as revealed in these columns last week.
The two sides reached a broader understanding on holding a further round of talks. They will centre on economic policy, foreign policy including regional power balance, political reforms including the proposed implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and the creation of a social democratic structure. Representing the FPC were G.L. Peiris, Dilan Perera, Nalaka Godahewa, Charitha Herath and Channa Jayasumana. The Uttara Lanka Sabhagaya team was led by Wimal Weerawansa and included Udaya Gammanpila, D.E.W. Gunasekera, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, G. Weerasinghe (General Secretary of the Communist Party) and Gevindu Kumarasinghe. The two sides are yet to agree on a date for the next round of talks.
Wooing JVP
The same FPC delegation had talks with the JVP at its office in Battaramulla on Friday. They are not seeking a tie-up but exploring the prospects of the two sides joining together on a common platform on key issues. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath and K.D. Lalkantha attended the talks.
A sizeable section of the FPC are opposed to an early tie-up with the main opposition SJB. It came to light this week that they want to first end their dialogue with all opposition political parties before reaching finality. A key member who is opposed to an early tie-up with the SJB spoke on grounds of anonymity. He said, “They want to rope us in early for two main reasons. One is the support they will receive for the candidature of their leader Sajith Premadasa. The other is by doing so, they want to prevent a possible erosion of their ranks to the United National Party.”
The same member said that one of the major stumbling blocks for an early tie-up with the SJB was its economic policy. The SJB came out earlier with a blueprint that was authored by Harsha de Silva. Now, it has improved on this same programme which makes clear that its policies are no different to those of the UNP or albeit the ruling disposition, the member said. “We will want the SJB to agree on a new economic policy if we are to support it,” the member said.
Highlights of the Executive Summary of the SJB blueprint:
“Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is not unexpected. Decades of short-sighted policies and half-hearted reforms weakened our foundation. Sudden global crises pushed us to the brink. Appalling mismanagement took us over the edge. Today, the state is bankrupt, inflation is rampant, the economy is faltering, and our socio-political order is in crisis. Yet we can still recover, we can regain our ground, reform our economy, and rebuild our country.
“Blueprint 2.0 tells us how. Anti-corruption and transparency laws are the bedrock of true, lasting change; and their rigorous implementation is essential to build a society that is just, equitable, and free from corruption. We must obtain bridge financing for our debt crisis and productively engage with the International Monetary Fund while restructuring our debt. We must maintain financial system stability as we do so. Carefully floating the exchange rate to market levels and raising interest rates will control inflation and restore the economy’s international competitiveness.
“Monetary policy reform will ensure that we do not backslide into crisis. Fiscal reform, including sustainable tax revenue increase, expenditure rationalisation, and reform of state-owned enterprises, is also critical. As we stabilise, we must also grow. It is essential that we promote trade, industry, agriculture, and services by unshackling markets, increasing competitiveness and productivity, promoting exports and investment, and integrating with global production networks. Transforming the public sector into a productive, efficient, digitally enabled workforce that serves the needs of Sri Lanka’s citizens, is also vital for growth. Reforms in the energy and utilities sectors are particularly important.
“Land and labour market reform will enable and amplify this growth.
“Targeted, means-tested cash transfers within a strong, transparent, effective social safety net must safeguard those who need it most. These reforms will enable more citizens to access the opportunities stemming from growth. This will not be an easy path, but it is our only route out of debt and towards sustainable inclusive development.
“This document is prepared by Harsha de Silva, a member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB)’s Economic Policy Unit consisting of the author, Kabir Hashim, MP and Eran Wickremeratna, MP; and is endorsed by SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, MP. Valuable advice and commentary from Professor Premachandra Athukorala and several economists are acknowledged with gratitude.
“This document also incorporates, in tables, the short-medium term action plan detailed in the ‘Common Minimum Programme’ compiled mid-2022 by the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) using proposals from Advocata Institute, Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Elle Gunawansa Thera, independent economists’ group,
“This document focuses solely on economic stabilization and growth: it does not include in-depth views of the author, the SJB, or any others on reforms in critical areas such as education, health, justice, reconciliation, environment, or any other aspects. It is not a comprehensive manifesto.”
Clues in President’s plans
However, the opposition political parties are still not sure when President Wickremesinghe will call for either presidential or parliamentary elections. Consequently, they are surmising every step he takes as a possible prelude to a poll. ……
https://www.sundaytimes.lk/230827/columns/setback-for-sjbs-alliance-moves-as-dullas-woos-wimals-group-and-jvp-530767.html
