Small is beautiful

Small is beautiful

Small is beautiful was a famous theme of the Family Planning Association at one time. Virtues of a small family were so much that several creative ways of describing a small family were introduced by politicians and others. One such description was that a family should be small enough for all its members to travel comfortably in a three-wheeler.

Currently the same adage, 'Small is beautiful', is used in a different context. Just as big families were out of vogue then, today big Cabinets are out of fashion. Perhaps it may be too small to limit the Cabinet to fit to a three-wheeler. People expect it to be reduced to about one third of what it was till the dissolution of Parliament.

The President should be congratulated for downsizing the Cabinet. Even big countries such as India and China have Cabinets much smaller than that of Sri Lanka. This requires rational distribution of responsibilities so as to get the most productive results. Where a single decision making authority is required partitioning and proliferating ministries gives way to anarchy and inaction.

What should be given priority is the needs of economic development. Key Ministries should be allocated to reliable and enthusiastic persons who would go all out to do a good job. They should be supported by a set of able assistants as Deputy Ministers.

The country could ill-afford a large Cabinet. Government should not only be made more accessible but also made cheaper. Now that the security situation has improved there is no need for large security contingents for Ministers. The visit of the President to Galle Face green suddenly last Thursday evening showed how much the security situation has improved.

Some politicians would find it difficult to mingle freely with the people in the way the President did as they had developed a culture of showing off their importance. Not only were they addicted to an ostentatious lifestyle but also were used to lord over the ordinary folk as a habit. The people have given some such persons a fitting answer at the last General Election.

This reminds one of the moves by various representatives of the people and even by those that got defeated at the elections to bring pressure on the Head of State in various devious ways to promote themselves as possible candidates for various offices. As for any post in the public service canvassing in any form should be considered a disqualification.

UPFA with long experience in governance and politics has a surfeit of personnel from whom the President could choose from in forming a strong and action-oriented Cabinet. He as the Leader is also aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each and every person that is qualified to take office. That is why the people look down with disdain upon the naive and hilarious attempts by some aspirants to influence the President to accommodate them.

The President has also firmly decided not to accommodate those that were rejected by the people. It not only sets a bad example but also amounts to an affront on the sovereignty of the people. A politician may be clever or cunning or smart but if he or she has no empathy for the people and has no sense of public service he or she would be unsuitable for high office.

What is at stake is the country's future, the future of its children. Only the best should be selected for high office.