The government's political trajectory amidst waning popularity

President Ranil Wickremesinghe's name may soon go down in history as the only South Asian leader who has interacted with a record number of world leaders for bilateral discussions within a short period since taking office. The reasons given are that it is mainly because Sri Lanka is in the midst of an unprecedented economic and political crisis with no silver lining on the horizon. The crises stems from the financial meltdown that came to pass during the Rajapaksa regime, owing to poor fiscal management and knee-jerk tax cuts by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to reward his cronies who made it possible for him to ascend the presidency. The consequences for the country and its citizens were disastrous when the government coffers ran out of revenue needed for recurrent expenditure. The government's financial pundits had no option but to declare insolvency. People demonstrated against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government for inaction and the immense economic hardships they had to endure within a short period of his assuming duties as president. Food scarcities and fuel shortages created winding queues for miles while sending the cost of living went through the roof. The people took to the streets, demanding immediate relief. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had a reputation as a strict military disciplinarian, showed the country that he was weak beyond expectation and was also poor at crisis management. The circumstances put him under undue pressure to invite the opposition to shoulder government responsibility. The solitary UNP Parliamentarian Ranil Wickremesinghe took advantage of the situation while others backed out. Eventually, he became Prime Minister and President since Gotabaya failed to hang on to the presidency due to the popular uprising by the people. Ranil Wickremesinghe has some experience in crisis management as an understudy of the late President J.R. Jayewardene and his active engagement with President Ranasinghe Premadasa during the impeachment in September 1991, where a section of Parliament sought President Premadasa’s ouster. Following Gotabaya’s ouster, India did not want to provide a safe haven for him on their soil but exerted pressure on the Maldives to accommodate him which they accepted. The departure of Gotabaya provided ample space for Ranil Wickremesinghe to get his agenda going. The ongoing political crisis was handled effectively by Ranil Wickremesinghe. He showed his mettle to the remaining Rajapaksa clan, who sought a haven under Wickremesinghe and elevated him to the presidency, using their clout on the badly beaten-up parliamentarians whose houses were set ablaze and razed to the ground by the protesting people. No government came forward to help the crisis-ridden country other than its immediate neighbour. India ostensibly assumed a crucial role, dictating terms to safeguard strategic Indian interests in the Indian Ocean region, where Sri Lanka has failed even to keep her act together. The Sri Lankan crisis gave a lot of leverage to India to interfere in some form or another in decisions taken by Sri Lanka for its benefit, even through legitimate means. After taking over, President Wickremesinghe had no easy task. He was walking a tightrope to salvage the country out of a muddle and repair the damage internationally. Once during an interview with a local TV station he likened this task to carrying a baby across a bridge wearing shoes with iron cladding.(somewhat similar to Grusha of the Caucasian Chalk Circle of Bertolt Brecht) Wickremesinghe has been actively working to revamp Sri Lanka's international image and relations with the outside world. He made it a point to interact with various world leaders, using every opportunity that came his way. He met with the leaders of China, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom to discuss potential solutions to the current crisis. He has also taken steps to address the deepening economic crisis in the country, including reducing government spending and increasing taxes on the wealthy and the poor alike. Several of his policies have virtually put the middle-class reeling under the pressure of taxes imposed in adherence to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe has also proposed several reforms to the country's governance structure, such as introducing greater transparency and accountability, which will take time for the country to reap its benefits. The president’s international interactions started with the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, followed by the funeral of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. Then, the President paid a well-calculated visit to Cuba akin to that of the late President J.R. Jayewardene and the United Nations and again to France, Germany, and India. The President has just fulfilled his mission in Beijing, addressing the Belt and Road initiative of President Xi Jinping of China. He actively participated in the BRI despite being warned by India of the inherent dangers associated with it. India’s reaction may not be direct, but it may come in different modes since the India-China rivalry has a burgeoning effect. Wickremesinghe met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar for bilateral discussions while in Beijing. President Widodo and President Ranil Wickremesinghe engaged in extensive discussions to further strengthen political, cultural, and economic ties between the two countries. Furthermore, they deliberated on the implications of the economic crisis and the palm oil ban on trade activities connecting the two nations. President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to establish free trade agreements with various Asian countries and to formalise the existing agreement with India. In response, the Indonesian president expressed his timeline for working towards a free trade agreement between Indonesia and Sri Lanka. President Ranil Wickremesinghe also agreed to work towards a free trade agreement between both countries. He promised to take all necessary steps to guarantee the fulfilment of the agreement. He also agreed to visit Indonesia soon to discuss the achievements made under the agreement. Wickremesinghe underscored the need to enhance the political, economic, and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Indonesia by reinforcing the Indian Ocean identity and existing bilateral agreements. He also promised to further strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. He thanked the Indonesian government for its support and expressed hope for a stronger bilateral relationship in the future. Wickremesinghe also engaged in an extensive discourse with Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar about the economic crises that have affected both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with a particular emphasis on strategies for recovery. Moreover, the leaders deliberated on the critical developments unfolding in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, they reached a consensus to issue a joint statement, reflecting their stance on the situation. The President, while in Beijing, vetoed a decision by the Constitutional Council to remove the incumbent Inspector General of Police, C.D. Wickramaratna. The President’s alleged decision may have been based on the fact that the Council had not followed proper procedure in removing the Inspector General or exceeded its constitutional responsibility. The powers to remove the Inspector General fell under the purview of the President, who felt that the decision of the Constitutional Council had been rushed without proper consideration. Making an appointment to such a senior position is the prerogative, and the responsibility of the executive and removal, too, falls within his purview. However, the Constitutional Council could make strong recommendations and suggestions to the President. Nevertheless, the President could remain without acting on the recommendations of the Constitutional Council while making use of an acting position to get the statutory duties vested with such a position. This has happened in the past when the person earmarked by the President for a coveted position is turned down by the Constitutional Council. The President's aim may be to appoint Deshabandu Tennakoon as the Inspector General of Police at the behest of Law and Order Minister Tiran Alles and take time until Deshabandu clears his name, which has been blemished by several court cases against him. However, it is a foregone conclusion that the Constitutional Council may not vote in favour of Deshabandu being appointed as the IGP proper. Hence, the President will be compelled to keep him in limbo. This means the President may not have an option but to keep him in the acting position until his retirement or a change of government that would remove Deshabandu from the acting position and revert him to his substantive rank. The President’s decision to overrule the Constitutional Council may create a legal hiatus, but senior lawyers say that he wouldn’t move without studying the provisions in the statute book since there is a reasonable doubt as to whether the Constitutional Council could assume the role of the appointing authority. Be that as it may, the government is making moves in the political domain to change the existing electoral arrangement and introduce a hybrid system. The top-rung members of the government are now working strategically to solicit the support of the opposition benches in Parliament. The opposition benches have told the government in no uncertain terms that they won’t participate in any discussion that is envisaged to change the existing electoral arrangement. The Minister of Justice, who is averse to the present PR system and the preferential vote, has proposed a new hybrid system of elections in which 30 percent of the members will be elected under the PR system while the other seventy will be chosen according to the first past the post (Westminster) system. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Justice Minister to discuss with all the parties represented in Parliament and arrive at a decision. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is not in favour of any changes amidst the government's waning popularity. They think the new system is a ruse to hold on to power come what may. When the Prime Minister said that it was done in good faith, the Opposition asked whether they put off the local government election in good faith as well. In any case, it looks like it won't be able to proceed any further since the SJB is not ready to support the government. Besides, the Online Safety Bill has come under heavy fire from almost every quarter. The latest application challenging the Online Safety Bill has come from Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith of Colombo. When the matter came before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, an additional Solicitor General appearing on behalf of the Attorney General told the Supreme Court that certain provisions of the Bill would change at the committee stage in Parliament. Many activists advocating media freedom and free access to information have filed an action in the Supreme Court challenging the provisions of the Bill and arguing that it should be approved by the people at a countrywide referendum.