Undemocratic practices, most unwelcome

May 28, 2016

Number of things happened that make one uneasy and uncomfortable. Is bureaucracy and state officials are invading the domain of representative democracy. We hear that Prime Minister has protested that his rights as an MP have been violated by sending a notice to appear before the Supreme Court. MP Weerawansa was to be noticed within the parliament premises by some ignorant official; but the Speaker has chased away the official. 

Most famous incident arose when the officials of Minister Mustapha organized an event very relevant to the provincial council, without inviting the Eastern Province Chief Minister Nasser Ahamed. On the other hand The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) decided to go on strike next Tuesday in all government hospitals in the country except in disaster-hit districts, against the ‘arbitrary action’ of the Medical Services Director (MSD) of the Health Ministry. Of course all these events are very different and spread out among many subjects; but all events are caused by officials who have ignored the correct procedure and were looking for simple way out with least amount of intellectual commitment.

 

EP Chief Minister gave the background to the incident that occurred at the function held at the Sampur Maha Vidyalaya. He said he had lost his temper because of the actions of Governor Austin Fernando. Speaking to media, he said the governor had shown a lack of  respect for him, frequently undermining his authority in the province and interfering in his work. On the other hand CM Commenting on the incident at the function said that he, the Chief Minister, had not been acknowledged officially by the compère. 

 

“However, when I tried to get on the stage after the governor called me, the compère tried to stop me. Then I lost my temper.” If the governor had requested him to come to the stage then Oswin has done his duty and the mistake has been done by others who organized the meeting. If the organizers knew that Nazeer Ahamed is the chief minister and that as the leading citizen in the province, should be allowed on stage, this wouldn’t have happened. 

 

The bureaucrats who are responsible for this mistake clearly do not know the significance of devolution and national integration. Did officials of Minister Mustapha have failed to recognize the importance of devolution, self rule in the eastern province? This is entirely against the principles of good governance.

 

The mistake of the Chief Minister is the way he displayed his protest. Of course he had the right to protest and explain the violation of democratic principle of devolution and autonomy.  “This shows how the Chief Minister is treated. The post should be respected. After all, he is the head of the province,” he said.  Ok, fine, but he did not say that in the stage; instead we only saw the shouting and pushing around. Certainly that is not the best way to achieve reconciliation.

 

In the case of Doctors, number of GMOA branches island-wide had objected to the Medical Services Director’s arbitrary actions, warning of strike action. It is against the principles of social capitalism promised by Ranil Wickremesinghe. The original list had been replaced with a new list prepared by the MSD and a Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry. 

 

According to the new list some of the peripheral hospitals would not get doctors at all,” the GMOA Spokesman Dr. De Soysa said. “We prepared the list according to the information received from hospital directors and regional health service directors at a meeting of the heads of health institutions. Now, it has been changed without our consent,” he said. This sounds extremely bureaucratic and undemocratic; and this appears almost a deliberate attempt to create a clash between GMOA and the Liberal regime.