Financial Times

Why are Sri Lankans such bad losers?
In his concession speech John Kerry, the defeated US Presidential candidate said, "I spoke to President Bush and I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation, and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need -- the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing. "In the days ahead, we must find common cause," Kerry said. "We must join in common effort, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancour. America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measure of compassion. I hope President Bush will advance those values in the coming years."

On December 19, 2000 CNN Correspondent Patty Davis reporting from outside Vice President Al Gore's residence in Washington, after covering the meeting between President-elect George W. Bush and the vice president said that the meeting lasted only 15 to 20 minutes. She reported that the meeting was cordial and that the vice president appreciated having the opportunity to speak with President-elect George W. Bush.

She added that Al Gore had communicated that it was important for the two men to put aside their differences after the long and difficult campaign. In this face-to-face meeting it was reported that, Al Gore threw his full support behind the president-elect.

Why have we never heard such words for national unity and reconciliation from defeated Presidential candidates, Prime Ministers and Ministers here? Instead, what we always hear is remorse, rancour and words of hatred and abuse.

These bad examples from the national leadership appears to filter down to judges of the Supreme Court, high officials like the Inspector General of Police, businessmen, sports personalities and at times even the clergy.

Isn't it a pity that those who sit on the highest seat of justice wait until they are retired to speak of the failures and machinations in the highest portals of the judicial structure and its negative impact on the perceptions of the legal fraternity and the general public. Honourable Sir, would it not have been more courageous to uphold the highest traditions of office by expressing these opinions before retirement and more importantly individually or with the collective power of the robe and wigs group, to have taken some corrective action?

Mr. Inspector General, how come that only when your much sought after extension in office was denied that that you began to see the corruption, ineffectiveness and the subservience to politicians and the underworld of the most important law enforcement agency you led?

Mr. Cool Captain of cricket, how come you saw the negative side of the big boy administrator of cricket, his crooked deeds and pulling strings of the puppets in charge, only after you retired and decided to contest him for the plum job of cricket administration?

Leaders of business forums and chambers, it is time to courageously demand good governance and accountability and call a political spade a spade while you are still in office, so that your words may have maximum effect on the system and its culprits.

The clergy in Parliament appear to develop their wisdom and insights and above all the duty to abide by the noble advice of the Lord Buddha and become "Dhamma Gavwesi", only after their own quests for power have apparently been foiled by their own kind. "Stand up and be counted" was the message that writer Arundhati Roy, economist Prabhat Patnaik, and human rights activists had for the students and teachers who filled a hall to capacity at the Delhi University on September 25, 2003. The only way, they said, to protect India's democracy and its political plurality was to speak up against injustice.

In Sri Lanka, even late in the day, it is up to civil society to stand up and be counted and to speak out loud and whereever possible with one voice against all forms of injustice, corruption and bad governance. Civil society must also recognize the desperate need for unity in finding a common ground for national development.

(The writer could be reached at - wo_owl@yahoo.co.uk).

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