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| Thursday, 25 November 2004 |
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The increased spending on the people's needs are now revealed with the tabling of the Appropriation Bill by the Minister of Finance. The dilemma that Ranil faces is that the budget when presented will give the government Rs. 438,917,632,000 (Rs. 438.9 billion) to spend. Will he say this is not good? There is going to be, governments spending on Human Resource and Education which have been increased from 36.8 billion to 57.5 billion since the last UNF budget; similarly health care from 19.3 billion to 29.5 billion; and a massive increase in spending for agricultural development from 4.1 billion to 14.3 billion. Investment on infrastructure, agriculture and irrigation, health and education has been increased by over 61 billion rupees more than what was invested in the last budget of the UNF. The strain on the economy and the pressure put on the people by the stupendous and unprecedented rise in the price of oil and its consequences on prices has been met by the government by a series of policy decisions. The government removed Vat on many food items, removed custom duties on rice, allowed free imports of rice, to bring prices down, brought down the prices of other food commodities, bearing the burden of increasing subsidies for fuel, oil, diesel, kerosene and fertilizer. The dilemma of the Opposition Leader is to explain to the people whether he would have made these fiscal adjustments had he been in charge of the government at a time when oil prices went up to over US$ 50 a barrel. Most people believe that if he was in power today the price of Samba rice would have been nearer Rs. 70 a kilo, his supporters would be paying over Rs. 80 a litre of petrol, and all the people would have to pay unbearable prices for all their food commodities, and farmers would have marched through Colombo protesting at paying over Rs. 1,000 a bag of urea. If Ranil had been in power today there would be food riots because the increased burdens borne by the government today would not have been borne by him would have gone hand in hand with the massive demonstrations against the Ranil's peace process of delivering Eelam on a platter. None of these events are taking place. His dilemma is basically the perception that government need not heed the voice of the vast majority of the country but should only heed the voice of the few. And that voice is not strong enough to convince the many. As the UNP has slipped down the slopes from the heady fifty two point one per cent (52.1%) of the vote in 1977, to the thirty five per cent (35%) (without the CWC and a faction of the SLMC that gave them thirty seven point eight per cent in 2004) obtain in April 2004, the dilemmas faced by Ranil and the UNF to claw back the lost votes is that they may very easily make the wrong choices. The President today is following the correct path of obtaining a majority for an agenda for the achievement of peace. The UNF pledged peace and the immediate setting up of an Interim Council with no conditions. This never materialized. The President has called for an all-inclusive mode of dialogue within the Southern polity, as well as the continued negotiations with the LTTE to work out viable permanent solutions. It must be recalled that the UNF pledged to find a solution to the ethnic conflict, but without giving a time for that frame. Moreover the UNF pledged in 2001 manifesto to set up an Interim Council. They did not do so. To address these urgent matters of State without the process dragging on, the President has for the first time in our history called upon representatives of all sections of the people to engage in a political dialogue to solve the ethnic issue without causing the setting up of a separate State. Power sharing of peace. This is fully endorsed by the majority of the people, and even the non participation of some Opposition parties will not blind the people to the reality of the situation. The mandate asked for and received by the UPFA Government in 2004 was for an all inclusive peace process. Does Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe want an all inclusive peace process or an all exclusive peace process when he knows that he himself has stated quite clearly that no solution possible without the approval of the President and her Alliance. The dilemma that Ranil Wickremesinghe faces in this situation is that he cannot side step a clear decision. The people, civic society, the business community and the international community are watching him closely. To remain a key player and maintain his image as a peace maker, desires a negotiated settlement of the Ethnic problem, the dilemma he faces is how he can convince his hard lining political affairs committee to permit him to sit as co-Chairman of the NACPR. A decision to accept the President's invitation would ensure he keeps his credentials as a peace seeking political leader. The party that he leads is now paying much less attention to the peace process. From December onwards it will become obsessed with only one matter, to win a Presidential election which may even never be held at the time they want it held. As far as a belligerent group in the UNF is concerned it will be from January onwards elections, elections and elections only. Until Ranil puts his foot down and fulfils his commitment to an united effort for peace. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has always felt the pulse of the people and followed the path of democracy. She has obtained the unstinted support of her Alliance parties, consisting of multiple shades of political opinion and political ideologies spread across the entire political spectrum. Her objective is now the achievement of four major policy objectives, now recognized as essential for the country's progress; these policies are permanent peace through power sharing constitutional reforms including a new electoral system and the abolition of the executive presidency, enhanced human and fundamental rights to be newly enshrined in a new constitution and further social and economic measures to carry forward the economic renaissance commenced in 1994. She has striven both in Parliament and outside, to obtain the highest amount of consensus possible, despite malicious conspiracies. The business community, civic society, the religious establishments, intellectuals and academics and the rank an file of all political parties have more or less endorsed and demanded the accomplishment of the above policies. A people's programme. No more, no less. The people who will support the President today and in the future, to solve the burning national issues facing us, will be making the greatest contribution to the progress and prosperity of the people of this country. Can Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, awash with the teeming contradictions inherent in the UNF, the new coalition that taken the place of the traditional UNP, say the same. There is no question what the people want. It is clear that only the political grouping that is nearest to what the people want will survive and only they will govern the country in the future. It is this Alliance Government that by its performance that will govern long in to the future. - Citizen |
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