RTI Bill becomes law in a rare display of unanimity
Political parties across the divide displayed a rare show of unity this week by unanimously approving the long awaited Right to Information (RTI) Bill, a landmark law which would go a long way to make the government more accountable to the citizens of the country.
The RTI law, under discussion since 2003, was passed after a two-day debate on Thursday and Friday, with the majority of lawmakers agreeing that the Bill was a step in the right direction, even though some had reservations about some of its provisions.
The debate on the Bill took place sans Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, a strong proponent of the enactment of RTI legislation. Mr Jayasuriya, who was hospitalised last week due to illnesses, twice attempted to introduce a RTI Bill during the former regime, as a Private Members Bill, but failed due to government objections.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe began the debate on the Bill on Thursday, during which he recalled that it was the UNP, when in power in 2003, that first drafted a RTI related Bill. However, with the defeat of the UNP at the 2004 General election, RTI legislation took a back seat, and only became a government priority when President Maithripala Sirisena was elected to office in 2015, as it was one of the promises in his election manifesto.
“We can see the damage done to the country due to vital information being hidden from the public during the 10 years the former regime was in power. Even government ministers did not know how huge sums of public money were invested and the massive wastage that took place. These are coming to light only now,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the implementation process would take up to a year, but attempts would be made to have at least 6,000 Information Officers in place within six months of passing the Bill, so that the process of dissemination of information can get started.
Opposition Leader and TNA MP R. Sampanthan too gave his backing to the RTI Bill, saying it will strengthen Fundamental Rights, democracy and consequently, the citizens of the country.
“The Government is a trustee for a period of time, performing certain functions and duties in the name of the people, for and on behalf of the people, and these duties cannot be performed shrouded in a veil of secrecy, away from the public eye and away from public scrutiny. Such scrutiny is possible only when the public is well informed and correctly informed. Therein lies the rationale behind this Bill, the need for this law, which gives the right to the public to such information,” he said.
Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader MP Anura Dissanayaka too backed the Bill, saying governments would no longer be able to hide information from the public. But, he said that, along with the RTI law, change in attitudes was also needed to make this legislation meaningful. “We need to change the political culture of this country, so that it is transformed into one that truly serves the public,” he said.
UPFA (Joint Opposition Group) MP Wimal Weerawansa expressed reservations regarding the restrictions placed on the kind of information that can be accessed by the public. “There has always been a formal and informal flow of information in this country. Some provisions in the Bill make it difficult to access the information on trade deals and financial matters and is not in the true spirit of the legislation,” he said.
The RTI Bill was passed unanimously with several amendments, despite rumblings regarding the weakening of certain provisions of the Bill due to amendments. Nevertheless, having the law in place in itself would act as a deterrent to those flouting government rules and regulations in all sectors. It would also lead to a gradual change in the manner in which the administrative service of the country works at present, by allowing the public to scrutinise for themselves whether they are truly getting what is due to them from the public service.
With the implementation of the RTI law wholly in the hands of public officials, they will have the most important role to play in ensuring that the public of this country fully benefit from the new legislation.