Razors for monkeys

 

Editorial-May 28, 2013, 8:40 pm

The democratic world has opted for less government which is said to be the best government. But, this country has been moving in the opposite direction with the political authority trying to keep everything under its thumb and acting like Big Brother. Politicians have, since the introduction of the so-called Republican Constitution in 1972, expanded their powers by systematically debilitating the public service and reducing it to a mere appendage of the government in power. This has created a situation where upright public officials who maintain professional standards, respect traditions and adhere to rules and regulations run the risk of being hounded out while backboneless bureaucratic lackeys are going places thanks to their boot-licking skills.

As if the heavy damage politicians have inflicted on the public service over the years were not enough, the government is reported to be mulling over new laws to grant more powers to Minister of Public Relations and Public Affairs Mervyn Silva, to deal with errant state officials. We thought he was omniscient and had no need for any more powers. He already rides roughshod over public officials according to his whims and fancies, doesn’t he? He could even tie government servants to trees in public places by way of disciplinary action. In 2007, he, accompanied by some thugs, stormed Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, demanding to know why one of his speeches had not been aired. The rest is history.

The state service is faced with a double whammy. Having rendered the 17th Amendment ineffectual, the government is now planning to bring in new legislation to subjugate it to the political authority further on the pretext of safeguarding the interests of the public.

The state sector is notoriously inefficient, lethargic, callous and corrupt, as is common knowledge, and should undergo a radical shake-up. But, there is absolutely no need for any new laws to accomplish that task which could be achieved with the help of existing legal and administrative mechanisms. The Public Service Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption etc should be revitalised and given more teeth, if need be, for that purpose. The setting up of politically motivated ad hoc institutions will only render the state service more chaotic and public officials more insecure. Only politicians in power will benefit from such harebrained measures.

Good governance requires, inter alia, building efficient systems to safeguard democratic rights of the public and run the affairs of the state efficiently in a transparent manner while enhancing national productivity. They are the pillars of democracy. But, what is being practised at present in this country is the very antithesis of system building. Politicians are busy doing away with the existing systems which they consider an impediment to self-aggrandizement. This is a dangerous trend which the Opposition and trade unions should take cognisance of.

The legislation to be brought in will be like a razor in a monkey’s hands; nobody will be safe.

Who will guard the guards? Politicians are no better than public officials where dereliction of duty, corruption, inefficiency and ineptitude are concerned. The country, we believe, will gain more if new laws are introduced to hold politicians accountable to the public.

Instead of introducing new laws, the government should seriously consider abolishing the Ministry of Public Relations and Public Affairs which is of no use to the people. There are many other useless ministries like the one for sugar and they all must be done away with. That will be the greatest service the government could do to the public paying through their nose to maintain them.