Desperate People Cannot Be Pushed Too Much By Either Government Or IMF

dr Jehan Perera

Sri Lanka has so far been spared the riots and political instability that has rocked other countries facing debt repayment crises. Kenya and now Bangladesh have seen large scale rioting and popular uprisings that are directly the consequence of economic problems that have sharpened the pain felt by the masses of people. Sri Lanka too was in a similar situation at the time President Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the reins of government. The president’s handling of the security situation and economy, and the support he has obtained from the IMF to regain access to international loans, has won him plaudits from the international community. Ironically, the majority of Sri Lankan people, though patient and quiet, may be having a different view which may explain the president’s apparent reluctance to test his popularity at the presidential election.

However, the question of whether the presidential election will indeed take place as constitutionally mandated appears to have been finally settled by the announcement of September 21 as the date of the elections by the Election Commissioner. This issue was at the centre stage of public speculation over the past several months. Several months ago, the president appointed a presidential commission to consider changes to the constitution and government ministers started to talk about abolishing the presidency. It reached a crescendo when petitions were filed in the Supreme Court asking for a postponement of the presidential elections, the president insisted on gazetting the 22nd Amendment and then expressed doubts as to whether the election could be held after the Supreme Court suspended the IGP from his position until the case against his appointment was decided upon.