The media, both in Sri Lanka and abroad, have described the new President of Sri Lanka, Kumara Dissanayake, as a leftist, communist, or Marxist, whatever the term may mean.
Regardless of the views the President may have held in the past, which led people to believe he was a leftist or communist, it is crucial now for him to put all this so-called leftism aside and start governing the country in a pragmatic way, keeping in mind the ground realities in Sri Lanka.
It is now widely recognised across the world that the philosophy of communism has faltered, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and several Eastern European countries. Although China claims to have a communist government, the reality is that the current Chinese government follows capitalist methods for all practical purposes. The key feature of the Chinese government is its combination of capitalist methods with totalitarian governance, which is characteristic of communist regimes. This blend has yielded significant results, as seen in China’s spectacular economic and industrial growth. However, there is a growing concern that the suppression of freedom in China is akin to a ticking time bomb. Only time will tell whether this will lead to an eventual uprising or whether Chinese citizens will continue to sacrifice their freedom of expression and liberty indefinitely.
In any case, the Sri Lankan President must recognise that the people of Sri Lanka have experienced freedom, and at one point, the level of freedom reached absurd levels, as demonstrated by the Aragalaya (the people’s protest), which turned violent.
The Sri Lankan President should avoid adopting the Chinese model of governance, which would be ill-suited to the freedom-loving people of Sri Lanka. If the President, who is perceived as a leftist, experiments with Chinese governance methods in Sri Lanka, it would be a grave and fundamental mistake.
Today, what Sri Lanka needs is to recover from the near-bankruptcy it faced recently. The country’s economy is still not out of the woods. The urgent priority for Sri Lanka today is economic and industrial growth, and this must be the President’s sole focus. There is no other path to improving the country’s prospects.
Clearly, economic growth in Sri Lanka will only happen at the necessary pace and scale by inviting and encouraging significant overseas investment in various projects. Overseas investment is essential, as Sri Lanka’s current investment capacity is alarmingly low.
To attract such investment, Sri Lanka must create favourable conditions by shaping its policies and programmes to attract investment across multiple sectors. Any negative campaigns against overseas investment, even if they come from supporters of the President, must be discouraged. The President must do this, even if it contradicts his previous publicly expressed views during the election campaign.
For instance, the opposition to the renewable energy project by India-based Adani Group is counterproductive and detrimental to Sri Lanka’s economic interests. Across the globe, renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, is hailed as a necessary solution to global climate challenges. Many developed and developing countries are making significant investments in renewable energy projects. It is puzzling that such an eco-friendly initiative is being opposed in Sri Lanka by certain groups.
It is encouraging to hear that the Sri Lankan President has vowed to combat corruption, which is now widespread in government, the private sector, and even in private life. The question, however, is whether he can achieve this. In India, Prime Minister Modi has similarly pledged to root out corruption but has not succeeded to the extent necessary. Mr. Modi has sought to tackle corruption by introducing reforms to systems and procedures, as well as promoting digitalisation. Perhaps the Sri Lankan President could learn a few lessons from Mr. Modi’s anti-corruption efforts.
In conclusion, the Sri Lankan President must not be bogged down by the notion of following a so-called leftist approach. It is vital that he understands that neither leftism nor rightism holds any advantage over pragmatism. Tackling the issues head-on, in a democratic manner, and in line with the spirit of freedom cherished by Sri Lankans, should be the way forward for the newly elected President.
