According to Jana Aragala Viyaparaya (People’s Struggle Movement) Presidential candidate Nuwan Bopage, one of the crucial changes that Sri Lanka should witness following the forthcoming Presidential Election is increased participatory democracy as opposed to representative democracy. He pointed out the importance of establishing bodies that allow people of diverse backgrounds to directly engage in the governing process even after elections.

He made these remarks during an interview with The Daily Morning. 

Below are the excerpts from the interview:

What is your approach and policy when it comes to dealing with the economic downturn?

The economic issue has exacerbated. However, it is not an issue that broke out recently. It is a result of the economic policy that has been employed for a long time. We believe that this economic system needs to be completely transformed, which, in political terms, we refer to as socialism. To put it simply, we will transform it into a system centred round the society and the people’s needs, instead of one centred around profit and market. We have a transitional plan to do that. 

First, the people’s tax burden needs to be alleviated. At present, direct taxes constitute around 15% of the tax income, while indirect taxes constitute around 85%. Indirect taxes affect the people more, and therefore, we are planning to reduce it to around 50% while direct taxes will increase to around 50%. We will completely transform the tax system in order to achieve this. At the same time, we will introduce the necessary laws and reforms to collect unpaid debts which come to about Rs. one trillion. 

The policy that had been employed since 1994 was that the Government should not conduct businesses and should instead sell businesses. Throughout history, Governments sold everything that earned them revenue. Even today, highly profitable institutions are being sold. We will completely do away with this privatisation policy, and reform them in a manner that ensures revenue for the Government. 

Some sectors, such as education and health, do not aim to make profits. People work and earn, and in turn, the public service has been established for the people. Commodities such as water and electricity are such services. We propose that all consumers that use less than 30 units of electricity per month be given electricity for free of charge, because their electricity consumption is a sign of poverty. While charging a reasonable amount from those who use up to 270 units of electricity per month, we will encourage renewable energy generation methods for such consumers. When it comes to those who use electricity beyond that, they should pay electricity charges and the relevant taxes. In a system where the economy is handled in such a manner, the economic burden on the people will be reduced and the people’s needs will be fulfilled.

What do you think about Sri Lanka’s controversial agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

The IMF is not relevant at all. Until 2013, Sri Lanka did not borrow money from the open market. However, after 2013, we did, and it was the international sovereign bonds (ISBs) that pushed us into a debt crisis. The IMF comes in to provide creditors the assurance that Sri Lanka will repay its debts. In addition, the IMF provides us with policies with regard to selling other State assets. Education, health, and other sectors are sold because of the IMF. We will completely withdraw from the IMF agreement, and instead, as a State, we will directly hold talks with creditors. We will reach agreements to refrain from repaying unfair debts. It would not be an issue because we have already paid high interest rates and creditors are not suffering losses. When it comes to bilateral and other forms of loans, we will hold discussions with them to have interest rates reduced and to go for a haircut. We should seek a haircut of at least 80% and also a grace period to repay debts. 

In this process, the IMF will not be relevant at all. Sri Lanka does not need such involvement.

What will your approach be in dealing with the long-drawn-out ethnic issue, especially concerning the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution?

The 13^th Amendment is something that every South-based Government has kept using again and again. It is a part of the Constitution. But, without enforcing it, its enforcement is promised during election periods. We are of the opinion that even the 13^th Amendment is not a solution, and that this supposed solution has been force-fed to us. Tamil, Muslim and hill country Tamil people or Malaiyaha Tamil people have issues in relation to their identities and they are facing a national issue. We need to provide an answer. They should be allowed to administer their respective areas. A fear has been created surrounding this claiming that this would be a federal or a separate State system, but, it is not true.

We propose a governing structure of our own, which will comprise two bodies. There will be a body that is similar to the Parliament, which will be established under a new Constitution. In addition, there will be another body for the areas separately administered by them. These two will make laws. If the former body introduces a law that has an impact on self-administered areas, that law has to be approved by the latter body. If the latter body introduces a law that has an impact on the country’s overall situation, in that case, the former body’s approval should be obtained. We will create balance through this. Within such a system, we will bring about a solution that allows Tamil, Muslim and hill country Tamil people to live freely and with self-esteem. 

When a Parliament is established in a country with a majority of Sinhala-Buddhist people, the majority of Members of the Parliament are also Sinhala-Buddhist, and the Tamil people cannot become the majority in the Parliament. In such a context, there is a feeling that they are in a State governed by the Sinhala majority. We need to get rid of that feeling, and in order to do that, they should be allowed to administer their respective areas. It is impossible to create separate States because it is not practical and will eventually result in the victimisation of everyone.

Upholding the rule of law in Sri Lanka has become a debatable topic. What would you do to strengthen the rule of law?

Theoretically, the concept of the rule of law contains a certain distortion. What is identified today as the rule of law is essentially the rule of a certain social class. For example, when President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s class wants an Act to suppress social media, it is introduced, and when former President and incumbent Government Parliamentarian, attorney Mahinda Rajapaksa’s class wanted to give the wealthy the tax reliefs – tax reliefs were introduced. We will eradicate it. To do it, we propose the establishment of bodies such as public councils and public committees throughout the country, and these bodies will be allowed to take decisions in direct collaboration with the Government. This means that the people will be able to be a part of the decision-making process that takes decisions for them. For example, students will have students’ committees, fishermen will have fishermen’s committees, farmers will have farmers’ committees, and ordinary people will have committees based on their residential areas. We will convert the rule of law into something that allows ordinary people to exercise democracy in their day-to-day lives. This is what will answer the question about upholding the rule of law.

However, before we reach such a level, these rights need to be ensured through a new Constitution. For example, at present, it is the civil and political rights that have been identified as fundamental rights (FRs). But, there are also other forms of rights, such as social rights, rights to a job and a house, women’s bodily rights, and the rights of people with diverse sexual orientations, which the society is yet to affirm. At the same time, environmental rights are a serious issue. We will ensure these types of rights through FRs, and once that is achieved, these rights will be protected through the law. 

We will create a citizenry that directly engages in democracy, and we will also protect the people’s rights through democracy. 

This is the first Presidential Election following the public uprising in 2022 where the public demanded accountability on the part of politicians. In your opinion, what steps are important in terms of creating politicians that are more accountable to the public?

The people should be engaged in democracy. Instead of representative democracy, participatory democracy should be introduced. It should be ensured through the Constitution, and the recalling powers should be included in the Constitution. If public representatives do not fulfil or go against the people’s interests, they should be recalled. In addition, the salary of a politician should not exceed that of a skilled labourer. Politicians don’t need other perks, and being a politician should be a voluntary service. Politicians becoming or being a privileged class should be prevented. We believe that through such a system, politicians will be accountable to the people.

What would your foreign policy be like?

We will opt for a completely non-aligned foreign policy. We should be in a position where we don’t get caught up in imperialist conflicts, be it the United States-China conflict or the European Union-Russia conflict. We will not get involved in any of them, and that is our foreign policy. At present, imperialistic interferences take place through the economy, and such interferences are made through entities such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. While we will completely withdraw from such interferences, we will strongly work with the alliances and organisations that are being formed with a focus on economies and debt reliefs concerning countries in the Global South. 

At the same time, we will not allow countries such as India to interfere in our country’s affairs and decisions. This should not be construed as making these countries enemies. We will work with them. But, our foreign policy is a non-aligned one where we won’t allow them to invade us in terms of the economy and culture.

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Sumudu Chamara

Jana Aragala Viyaparaya

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