What do Oppositions do? They oppose. Why do they 'oppose' in the first place? Well, they are supposed to keep governments on their toes, help keep things in line, point out flaws etc. In a nutshell, offer constructive criticism and, in the event that parliamentary majority and executive authority is abused, mobilize the people to mitigate.
In an ideal world, that is.
What
happens, typically, is that the Opposition or rather the major
player(S) in the Opposition allow the intention to capture power governs
word and deed. Mountains are made of molehills, sand is thrown in the
wheels, typically. Such has been the bread and butter of oppositional
politics. Such has evolved into being the crux of oppositional culture.
It
could be different of course but this would call for a complete rethink
on the part of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition and the
party he/she represents are ideally positioned to engineer a change in
the culture of engagement but we haven’t seen anything of the sort from
parties and politicians who have been in the opposition. Not in a very
long time.
This is why a proposal by Rasika Jayakody warrants
comment. Now Rasika is not an MP. He is a young and fresh entrant into
the rough and tumble of party politics. He is affiliated with the youth
wing of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB). He is, then, on the fringe.
Therefore it wouldn’t be surprising if the so-called ‘seasoned’ seniors
of the party pay little or no attention to what he has to say. Of course
this is not a situation that’s uncommon and neither is it the preserve
of political parties.
Juniors are expected to say little and
listen more. They have to wait their turn. They have to work their way
up the ranks before they are taken notice of. They have to put in the
yards, so to speak. I would strongly urge the big boys and girls not
just in the SJB but in the rest of the Opposition and the Government
(who knows when one finds him/herself in the Opposition?) To take note.
Rasika
Jayakody believes there are some non-negotiable tasks that need to be
accomplished for the general betterment of the country and in particular
the transformation of overall political culture. He calls the effort or
rather the drivers of the effort ‘Sammuthiya Janatha Vyaparaya’ (The
Covenant People’s Movement?).
There are six broad areas that he
has identified in a recent Facebook post. First, he believes (as many
others do) that the massive expenses that have to be incurred in running
any election campaign is the root of the seemingly limitless corruption
that has pervaded politics. The Movement advocates full disclosure of
money spent on election campaigns.
The second element is
related. A declaration of assets prior to the launch of any election
campaign should be mandatory, they believe. Makes sense. Such
declarations should take the form of an open document accessible by
anyone and everyone. A political culture which has space for anyone to
question the particular politician on such declarations should be
created, they add. An end-of-term declaration of assets could also be
made mandatory.
Thirdly, the Movement calls for an absolute
stop to attaching anything that enhances a politician’s public profile
to any development project publicly funded. This cannot be just a call
from an enlightened party leader, President or Prime Minister. Such
moves help, but insistence on the part of the public can cement the
issue. Laws can also be passed.
The fourth article in this
document refers to a change in the way politics is done. The Movement
envisages a future where intervention originates in and is driven by
social movements instead of a system where party machinery that
essentially serves big money and the ‘need’ to profit. It would be a
tall order to revolutionize a party machinery to mainstream such an
idea. Rasika correctly calls on civil society activists and
professionals to take the lead. One hopes he is not thinking of the NGO
racketeers dressed up as activists but are really just members of fronts
designed to back certain political parties or agendas that have little
to do with the national interest or the betterment of the entire
population.
The fifth is about honorable citizenship. It’s a
take from Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s recent call for ‘inclusive nationalism.’
That’s not very ‘UNP’ or ‘I/NGO’ but it is certainly an idea that
doesn’t jar with the kinds of positions that the SJB has taken. The
priority, Rasika says, should be marginalized groups. A ‘class frame’ is
often neglected in such analysis. Let’s hope it is not marginalized.
The
final one is about decent, civilized engagement with political
opponents. Nice words. Hard to enforce. However, a people’s movement
could help create such an environment.
Rasika is a ‘marginal’ as
of now. The ‘Movement’ is certainly not ‘mainstream.’ The power he
wields and the movement he speaks for is modest. For now.
That’s
how things begin. Great things too. A fillip could come in the form of
mainstreaming these ideas by the Opposition. The SJB can do it. The Sri
Lanka Podujana Peramuna could do it. In fact if the party in power takes
the lead, it could add to the massive edge it already enjoys. Obviously
the compulsion would be less from that quarter but that again is
something that could be seen as a lack that is best rectified.
In
the end, it’s the people who have to underwrite such moves. This, then,
is a small contribution. All power to Rasika Jayakody and his friends.
malindasenevi@gmail.com
