Same buzz, larger issues isolated

The buzz in political platforms these days is about the Central Bank bond issue, ethanol and drug barons, corrupt businesspersons or ( emanating from the opposition camp) promises not kept. It’s the same cycle ( apart from the bond issue) of negative thought, rhetoric and comment. Rarely have politicians come up with any positive thoughts during an election. But that’s the way the world is. No one is going to vote for a politician who says nice things about for example his opponent.

However and probably the first time, the United National Party ( UNP)- led government is all praise for the President who technically belongs to the opposition camp. Sri Lankans would wish that more of these vibes would take place in the run- up to the August 17 poll rather that the vituperative claims, slander and abuse that is hurled day-after-day from political platforms.

Elections bring chaos, uncertainty and the period December 2014 to August 2015 is – apart from the 30-year war years – considered to be one of most unpredictable times for the economy and business resulting in see- saw developments.

Business leaders are constantly griping about bouts of uncertainty when election periods get closer. The biggest issue in the uncertainty is when elections are not held on schedule and advanced to suit the governing party or delayed as in the present case. “Elections, no doubt, are a must in a democracy but economic and business planning goes haywire when the schedules are tampered with,” one business leader said adding: “In the present scenario, the expectations was that the unsettled period would be December 2014/ January 2015 to end April when elections were promised. Then it went beyond and created more uncertainty”. Business leaders have expressed the hope that business and the economy will have a smooth run for the next five years ( as promised by the main contestants at the poll) without any more interruptions.

Disruptions mean money, loads of it – both from the governing side and the private sector. In the last six months, the government has resorted to massive borrowings, from both local and foreign sources. Just like the previous regime, borrowings are keeping the foreign cash reserves to manageable levels amidst huge spending – largely to settle bills left behind by the former regime and the rest for new projects often labelled as vote- catching programmes.

Meanwhile social market economics has become the new mantra of the governing party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) aimed at creating an economy that provides equal opportunities to all.

As per the actual definition, a social market economy is said to be an economic system derived out of a free market operated in conjunction with the state providing for those unable to work, such as the elderly or the unemployed.

While these are laudable gestures and look nice on political platforms and on paper, these slogans are nothing new given the ‘economy with a human face’ cry in the late 1980s and the 1990s on which the social welfare programmes and activities like the Gam Udawa and poverty alleviating-Samurthi were developed.

The UNP manifesto ( the leaders proclaim it’s a 60month development plan not a manifesto) centres on 5 points: developing the economy, fighting corruption, ensuring freedom for all, investing in infrastructure and improving the education system.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) manifesto also refers to five basic principles - a People’s Government, high quality human resources, a modern and industrial country, a just society and an independent man.

The UNP’s manifesto also deals with a social market economy but proposals to improve microfinance facilities and access to cheap credit for SMEs, create more social entrepreneurships and help innovation and creativity for public good appear to be missing.

Also are there proposals in these manifestos or development plans to alleviate the plight of thousands of domestic ( mostly female) migrant workers and ensure proper working conditions for female domestic workers ( those who work in Sri Lankan homes)?

The issues taking centre- stage these days are the Central Bank bond, fiscal deficit, high borrowings and corruption of the past. While these are important, so are the rights of female domestic migrant workers who make up nearly 50 per cent of Sri Lankans employed in West Asia.

In a desperate bid for power, politicians are also invading people’s privacy. The other day supporters of a prominent minister called a Colombo residence and urged the house- owner to vote for the minister. Instead of a patient hearing, the minister’s sidekick was blasted by the angry resident for wasting his time!

Governing parties are quick to gloat about rising remittances ( as if they are responsible for it and not the workers) but extremely slow in dealing with their rights. Migrants, numbering over a million workers (one in every 20 of the population), are yet to be provided a system of voting while abroad.

Recent circulars restricting women going abroad for employment if they have children below five year and over five years violates their fundamental rights and raises the question of why only women – and not men – are penalised for a crisis in the family when the country’s Constitution provides equal rights to men and women.

In the sphere of domestic workers, a recent survey by Verite Research put this population at around 87,400 workers – 60,400 of whom are female.

While Sri Lanka is yet to ratify the 2011 International Labour Organisation Domestic Work Convention which ensures ‘ Decent Work for Domestic Workers’, the issue of domestic workers is not even thought of on election platforms. In this context it would be useful for politicians to attend the Verite Research study being presented at a conference in Colombo this week, and understand the seriousness of this issue.

So, why are sectors like migrant workers and domestic workers ( and many, many more) not as important as the ones mouthed by politicians? Simply because they are not exciting enough to attract crowds to rallies, not considered an influential base to garner votes and , in the minds of politicians, won’t stretch their own ( politicians’) success; even though these issues deal with the progress of a nation.