Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has expounded on the merits of a national government, adding that both the UNP and SLFP stands to benefit under a market economy with social justice. Addressing a foundation laying ceremony in Pannipitiya, Premier Wickremesinghe stressed that the benefits of the market economy cannot be restricted to a few industrialists and business persons only. These benefits should filter down to the employees too since the market economy and social justice should go hand in hand as the two sides of the same coin.
It is appropriate that the market economy, its pros and cons, should be revisited by the Prime Minister at a time the UNP is set to mark 40 years since its 1977 avalanche which ushered in the market economy. The revolutionary move, no doubt, unshackled the country from a moribund system taking it forward by leaps and bounds in trade, commerce and many spheres in the economy. The hitherto indigenous and inward looking economy of the socialist governments led by Sirima Bandaranaike was turned topsy-turvy by JRJ, opening the country's doors wide open to the outside world and the hustle and bustle of international trade. With the five sixth majority at his command, President Jayewardene was not restrained in his ambition to make Sri Lanka a regional economic hub. The facade of the country, its landscape, virtually changed overnight with giant projects and skyscrapers coming up in next to no time. Job opportunities were created through Free Trade Zones and other employment avenues opened its doors to the youth of the country through the heightened economic activity all round. In fact Sri Lanka was the first South Asian country to take the plunge vis-a-vis a market economy ahead of even giant India who later went onto adopt the system and is today a firm disciple of the open market economy.
The system, no doubt, had its critics and detractors, especially from the socialist school of thought, who were firmly of the view that it only succeeded in making the rich richer and the poor poorer through the exploitative mechanisms inherent in the system. Even the more moderate and middle of the road SLFP too viewed the open economy with a jaundiced eye, with the party advocating the total dismantling of the system in the event of returning to power. However CBK took a completely different view and was in favour of retaining the market economy albeit with a “human face”. However, upon taking the reins of power, Chandrika even surpassed the UNP in its unbridled consumerism and went onto private state ventures at a rate, even recalling back the Shell company to whom her mother showed the door when the latter was Prime Minister in the early sixties.
This iconoclastic daring by CBK prompted government MP Dullas Alahapperuma to remark that aanduwa vamata signal dala dakunata harawanawa (the government had signaled to Left and turning to the Right). But there was no turning back. The die had been cast. Even the more socialist oriented, national minded, Mahinda Rajapaksa too had no choice but to adopt the system against which he went on paada yatras and organsied jana goshas.
Be that as it may, the SLFP or SLFP led governments, thereafter, did not look back and stuck to the status quo, retaining the open economy- human face or not- which augurs well for the continuation of the national government as propounded by the Prime Minister. The views expressed by the PM of the need to make the market economy an all inclusive affair, not leaving out the poor and the marginalized from the system, no doubt, will also find resonance with the more socialist oriented elements within the Unity Government. True, there are glaring social disparities within the system and its exploitative nature came in for heavy flak even at the time the market economy was introduced by JRJ. The system also gave way to massive corruption, the creation of a corrupt society, and a drastic change in our social and cultural values, which have been accepted even by the ardent proponents of the market economy.
But the baby cannot to thrown with the bathwater. The world has moved at a frenetic pace since those halcyon days of socialism, with all national boundaries and barriers almost extinct. Russia and China had long ago come around to adopting the market economy even while dyed in the wool socialists, such as Vasudeva Nanayakkara, were railing against the system here in Sri Lanka. Hence it is difficult to attribute the alleged rumblings within the national government to ideological differences.
Therefore, the continuation of the national government, as the Premier has advocated, with the different schools of thought, and inputs, within the coalition, is the ideal way to move forward. Jettisoning the arrangement at this stage would indeed be counterproductive, when the government is only half way into its tenure and development programmes and other positive facets are just beginning to take shape, after fording through troubled waters.
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