Strike while the iron is hot is a pithy English saying. Those who were clamouring for the independence of the police, the public service, the judiciary and the Elections commissioner must lose no time in demanding from the new government that these four commissions be established.

In Sinhala there is a pithy saying, "Pahu Pahu Venakota Kohu Kohu venavalu." Roughly put into English this means that things tend to slacken as time passes.

We don’t know whether the UNP will also change its mind over its promises like the PA.

The PA promised the sun and the moon to the masses. But few of its promises were implemented. The people thought enough is enough and overthrew the corrupt PA. Now it is the UNP’s turn. Unless it is kept under pressure to implement its promises, it too may conveniently forget about them and start blaming the PA.

The UNP has won overwhelmingly by promising to cleanse society of politicisation and corruption. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe also promised to discipline this society. I wish all the very best to him. He must do it.

The four commissions that are the pillars of the 17th amendment are needed for good governance without which there will be no economic development. In an undisciplined society with over politicised non-independent state institutions, no country can progress. Mr. Wickremesinghe is right in having identified the problem.

I don’t think that he intends to go back on his promises. But he may not be so keen as he was before the elections to do this in the future.

There will be many of his own men who will want the police, the Elections Commissioner, the public service and the judiciary to do as they say. It does not take much time for paragons of virtue to become blood thirsty hounds. Learn from our experience with the PA. Look at the dastardly way, ten youths were massacred in Kandy by the PA thugs and their polls rigging spree.

Civic rights activists, free media leaders, and all others who did a wonderful job by bringing down the stinking PA administration should not let grass grow under their feet. They should try to get things done fast by the UNP before it puts itself in the PA’s boots. Don’t forget the fact that many of the UNP parliamentarians are not new to the game that the PA played. They played the same game perhaps much better before 1994.

Therefore, my advice to these worthies is that they must get at least the four commissions established as soon as possible.
Edward Bandara Weerakkody
Via e-mail