Editorial

After hemming and hawing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) eventually announced the coronavirus (COVID-19) was a ‘pandemic’ — a global disease. The world body is accused of being a week too late, holding back lest it be guilty of sending the world economy into an unnecessary spin.

The Sri Lankan authorities were in a quandary themselves. Partly in denial that the hot weather was a deterrent to the spread of the virus, they also took the utterly ridiculous decision to reopen entry to Chinese nationals saying the epi-centre of the virus had shifted from China to Italy, while yet allowing tourists from Italy to come in freely – under duress from the anxious tourist industry.

The results were seen on Wednesday when news broke that a local tour guide with Italians had contracted the virus, and passed it on to his colleagues triggering panic. Parents stormed a premier Colombo school following the fake news that the guide’s son was also infected. Others literally stormed city supermarkets, emptying shelves in frenzied buying sprees, many selfishly wanting to stock up buying all the rice, dhal and sugar in sight and all the hand-sanitisers, irrespective of whether others also needed them.

On the other hand, the Tri-Forces were quickly enlisted and quarantine centres established but there seemed little coordinated action and an even less common-sense approach to anticipating a panic situation as we saw on Wednesday resulting in a knee-jerk reaction to close down schools and setting in motion of a string of other steps.

The WHO Declaration of a pandemic, analysts say, was necessitated by world governments, especially in Europe and the United States “not getting it” on the seriousness of the virus spreading inter-continentally.

Singapore, which was hit very early due to its proximity to China had more than 100 cases by this month but there’s not a single fatality reported. The city state has been called the ‘poster child’ of good governance in handling COVID-19. Taiwan was another good example.

The Singapore Government went into action with its Prime Minister visiting its airport and addressing the nation to reassure the people that they were on top of the situation. The government then began identifying “infection clusters” zeroing on the transmission routes. It kept in touch with those struck by the virus through WhatsApp and the people were regularly informed throughout the day and night. Singapore did nothing new. It only had to execute the drill it already had in place for SARS previously and whatever infectious diseases come its way from time to time.

The Sri Lankan authorities need to do more to reassure the people that they have the situation under control. Wednesday’s panic situation does not augur well for the trust deficiency factor. A mere daily bulletin by the Health Ministry each morning will not suffice in this age of mobile phones and fake news — and a law relating to the prevention of infectious diseases that has a maximum fine of Rs 10,000 for an offence to public health.

With the virus still not having reached its peak globally, from when it is usually expected to come down, local cases are bound to increase in the coming days and weeks. With the virus now sweeping across Europe, the expected peak is in April. That is when Parliamentary elections are due in Sri Lanka. Electioneering through mass rallies; supporters visiting homes with literature in support of their candidates are all part and parcel of local election campaigns.

One of the primary causes of the spread of the virus in Iran, one of the worst affected after China was because during the nascent stages of the virus in that country, it went ahead with a Parliamentary election. Many attribute that to be the cause for its citizens falling prey in their numbers to the coronavirus.

All political parties must come together here in a bi-partisan approach without trying to score cheap political points and see if it is wise to proceed with a Parliamentary election in the midst of this easily spreading virus. A colossal amount of money will be spent on holding an election. Surely the country cannot afford to spend even more on an additional health bill should the virus spin out of control in the country.

This is an exponential threat. A ‘super-spreader — like a tour guide — can contribute to an explosion in different communities throughout the country. A single day’s delay in decision-making can be crucial.

The old order changeth

The United National Party (UNP), often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party) has decided to its best to drown separately, rather than drown together.

Following its candidate’s defeat at last November’s presidential election, the party went into further remission rather than get together and face adversity jointly.

It is not unusual for parties that face an electoral setback to hit by internal problems. The UNP faced a drubbing at the 1956 election that ushered in a much vaunted “apey aanduwa” (our government).  The UNP faced a similar fate when it was crushed in 1970, but each time, notwithstanding internal issues, it rose, regained the people’s confidence and returned to office.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) faced similar issues in 1977 with the party breaking up. It took the party 17 years to return to power and place, thanks to the UNP disintegrating despite being in office. The SLFP, one way or another, has been holding the reins of power ever since.

The internal squabbles within the UNP go back to S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike leaving the party to form the SLFP, Sir John Kotelawela’s issues with Dudley Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake’s issues with J.R. Jayewardene and J.R. Jayewardene’s issues with Rukman Senanayake which saw the formation of a short-lived party. But it was in 1992 that the UNP faced a crippling blow when a formidable group dissatisfied at being sidelined by the then leader broke away and formed a new party.

An old saying is that when elephants fight it is the ants that get trampled, and that would be the plight of the UNPers — and today’s SLFPers who are silent spectators at the shenanigans of their leaders. For many such supporters, their loyalties to the party could supersede even their loyalty to their country; to some it is a ‘religion’. All this must be a bitter pill to swallow.

In all likelihood, the UNP will be fighting an enemy in front and enemy behind. The SLFP has no alternative but to hang on to its breakaway faction. It seems the old order changeth, yielding place to the new. For better or worse is to be seen. Given the history of breakaway parties, however, it is also possible that after a brief interlude, the old mainstream parties will prevail. There is nothing permanent after all, except change.