By Kassapa
The partially resolved riddle regarding to former Speaker Ashoka Ranwala’s doctorate was a rude eye-opener to the Jathika Jana Balavegaya (JJB) government. The message from the opposition was loud and clear: you may have a two-thirds majority but we will attack you, if necessarily below the belt.
The controversy over Ranwala’s doctorate was largely of his own making. There is no denying that he had at the very least allowed himself to be ‘advertised’ as a ‘Dr.’. When the issue exploded all over social media, reports were unearthed of Ranwala being described as a ‘Dr.’. More recently, when his name was proposed as Speaker by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and seconded by Bimal Ratnayake, they both used the title ‘Dr.’. No attempt was made to correct that.
Although the government finally emerged from the issue with their reputation intact- only barely, in the nick of time and that too thanks to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s late intervention- initially it appeared to believe that the controversy would simply blow over.
This was evident when Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa was posed a question regarding Ranwala’s qualifications at the Cabinet media briefing. The Speaker will provide a detailed statement in ‘a few days’, Jayatissa said but also added, “It is not an issue we have taken above our knees; we will let our critics make such remarks”. That suggests a level of arrogance and also a belief that this issue will only be a storm in a teacup.
When the opposition began pondering a vote of no confidence against Ranwala, the response was similar. Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne, perhaps displaying the gung-ho of his trade union past, gloated this would be a futile exercise because the JJB had well over a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The debutant parliamentarian that Karunaratne is, he was obviously oblivious to the collateral damage such a vote of no confidence would cause. Keheliya Rambukwella and Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena survived such votes, one went home, the other went to jail.
It was when the opposition began soliciting signatures for a motion of no confidence that the JJB leadership took notice. It was left to Dissanayake to rescue the government. Had the vote been presented in Parliament, the government would have surely defeated it but in the process irreparably destroyed its credentials as a regime of integrity and clean governance, the very core value it promised during its election campaigns.
Fortunately for the government, Dissanayake had the political maturity to make the right call: sacrifice Ranwala to preserve the dignity and integrity of the government. Meeting with state media heads last Friday he conveyed an important message: if someone makes a mistake, he will be dealt with, no matter what position he holds, even in government. That was the first indication that Ranwala had been asked to resign.
Ranwala had the grace to go without a fight, placing his party before himself. However, his letter of resignation raised more questions. He has never sought to provide false details regarding his qualifications, he said. He also said he would need “more time” to obtain documentation regarding his doctorate from the awarding institution in Japan. He was only resigning to avoid causing embarrassment to the government, he said. In summary, he was not acknowledging any wrongdoing. The nation awaits the corroboration of his credentials with bated breath.
So, has the government learnt its lessons from this fiasco? That remains to be seen. The government’s initial response to the questions that were raised regarding Ranwala’s qualifications was far from satisfactory. Many suspect that, had it not been for the prospect of a no confidence motion, they would have stayed with their stance.
That Dissanayake was able to salvage what would have otherwise been a disaster is commendable. Equally worrying is the fact that the political brains behind the JJB didn’t see this coming. Moreover, a can of worms has been opened about the qualifications of some other JJB parliamentarians as well which are now under scrutiny.
Perhaps thinking that attack is the best form of defence, the JJB has also gone on the offensive. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara queried the use of legal titles by Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) parliamentarians Ajith Perera and Chamindrani Kiriella. Health and Media Minister Jayatissa questioned Kavinda Jayawardana’s use of the title ‘Dr.’.
All that is well and good but the overarching message for the JJB is that it should not be arrogant just because it has received a massive mandate from the people. This is exactly the reason why once popular governments become unpopular, and we have had plenty of those in recent times. One can only hope that this lesson has been learnt by the JJB and learnt well too.
In seeking a replacement for Ranwala, the government once again chose a debut parliamentarian, Jagath Wickramaratne from Polonnaruwa, a medical doctor. In the brief period that Ranwala chaired sessions in the House, he was found to be wanting, not being familiar with proceedings and standing orders and fumbling with his remarks. While that can be excused due to his lack of exposure to the processes of Parliament, one must query why the government chose to tread the same path again, opting for another inexperienced Parliamentarian. Much of the office of Speaker is about commanding the respect of the House and most of that comes from the experience of being there for some time.
They had the choice of opting for veteran parliamentarian Nihal Galappaththi or even Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi. Deputy Speaker Rizvi Salih acquitted himself well in conducting proceedings from time to time but ruled himself out of contention because some of his election posters depicted him as a ‘specialist’ when he was not. The JJB didn’t want to drag itself through a similar controversy all over again.
The Ranwala saga did not and will not bring down the JJB government, even if it is found that Ranwala doesn’t possess a doctorate. If the government- and its 159 parliamentarians- are sensible, they will see this as a learning experience and remember to stay true to the pledges they made during their campaigns: a clean, honest government that may make mistakes but is sincere enough to own up to them. Right now, only Anura Kumara Dissanayake seems to be following that principle.
