Accountability has to be the Hallmark of good Governance in Sri Lanka


Accountability has to be the Hallmark of good Governance in Sri Lanka


Sri Lanka has been placed on the world map ones again for the commendable way, in managing and containing the Covid – 19 pandemic since March 2020. The fact that we have been able to limit deaths to seven (at the time of writing this) is remarkable in comparison to some of the Western Super Powers who seem to have “missed the bus”. The high morale found with Sri Lankan people in this crisis has undeniably brought blessings in disguise such as:
·       Rediscovering the value of traditional medicines that could go hand in hand with western medicine to combat Covid - 19
·       Innovative Sri Lankan minds producing hi-tech equipment which supports the medical interventions to combat Covid -19


These accomplishments must be recognized by all Sri Lankans and feel honored of the sons and daughters of our mother land. At the same time our prayers and supplications have to go on for the President, Presidential Task Force of Covid -19, Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Hospital Staff, Police, Security Forces and Public Health Officers who have taken the front line in combatting the Corona virus. For these team players to go on with full steam a conducive political climate in the country is of paramount importance. Accountability and Good Governance have to be ensured by those in positions of authority, so that those who have taken their position in the front line will not be demoralized, due to misgovernance. Very unfortunately during the past two weeks we have been plunged in to another stormy  cloud which seem like a constitutional conflict.


The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been placed on the tripod of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The three have been designed to be symbiotic so that the necessary checks and balances are always maintained to facilitate healthy governance with good accountability.
Sri Lanka is now faced with a precarious situation where the Covid -19 pandemic has forced the postponement (indefinitely?) of the holding of Parliamentary Elections which was scheduled to be held on the 24th April. The functioning of the Judiciary is on a limited gamut while there is no meeting of the Legislature.  The only leg of the tripod that stands firmly at the moment in Sri Lanka is the Executive. As a responsible citizen of this country, I deeply appreciate the herculean tasks carried out by the Executive of Sri Lanka in comparison to the statements and moves made by the Executive of one of the super powers which has created havoc in his own country. How ever in this Covid 19 setting the governance of the country has to be stable and that is possible if only the tripod nature of Sri Lankan governance is healthily maintained, without taking a despotic approach by any one party of the tripod. The least move made in the wrong direction will make the entire country suffer and regret for ever. Such wrong moves will give more leverage to lack of accountability and transparency in the entire governance of this nation which is the last thing a sensible citizen would want to see.


As we all dreadfully feel that another Constitutional conflict is forthcoming, perhaps worse than the one we had in October 2018, it is our plea before all parties concerned to come to a consensus of opinion rather than strengthening one’s own camp to outrun the other. The biggest obstacle we face today in Sri Lanka is the lack of trust building between the “three legs” of the tripod. The end result is to build an attitude of not wanting to have the other who could be a vital player in the team. Much time and energy is wasted in attempting to prove that this attitude one holds is right. It leads to mudslinging at people who mean well and this is widespread in Sri Lanka today, through the social and mass media.


Countries and Funding Agencies around the world have already started pumping in money, in the form of loans or grants which calls for faithful stewardship and accountability from the Sr Lanka Government. It is the Legislature that has been entrusted by the Constitution, the primary responsibility of approving Budgets and receive the Financial Statements. With the indefinite postponement of Parliamentary Elections, very likely, what is the alternate mechanism provided in the Constitution of Sri Lanka to do the checks and balances?


The fact that the most of the General Public are more interested in how and what they earn to feed their families does not give a license to the Executive or the Legislature to expend the funds without proper accountability.
 As a religious leader and a responsible citizen of Sri Lanka, I call upon all people of Sri Lanka to entreat before God so that those in conflict will understand with humility the urgency to resolve the Constitutional Conflict and not go in to a “dead lock” when the General Public are in “Locked down” experience.


May God’s Grace be upon all those in authority to make good and wise decisions through proper consultative procedures within the constitutional frame work of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.  


Rev. Asiri P. Perera
President Bishop
Methodist Church Sri Lanka.                                                       April 26, 2020


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