Jana-Handa Versus Gotata-Baya

By Kumar David –OCTOBER 21, 2020

Prof. Kumar David

Jacinda Arden’s star is rising, the sun is melancholy over Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s dream of an empire where he and his military will be masters of all they survey. Both scored landslide victories – actually Gota’s in Nov 2019 and the SLPP alliance’ in August 2020 polled a larger share than Jacinda’s 49%. There is one more similarity but otherwise the contrast between what they stand for and where they intend to take their nations could not be more stark. That similarity is that Jacinda’s government and the Gota Administration both got hold of COVID by the scruff and snuffed it out. Well at least I hope so; when and where a feared second wave may strike and whether it will be dreaded ‘community transmission’ one can never say. Nonetheless, this shared achievement must be recognised. 

The similarities end there. What are the differences between PM Arden and President Rajapaksa?

a) Jacinda stands for an open democratic polity; she is not a dictator in waiting.

b) There is nothing like the draconian 20th Amendment that she intends to foist on the people and authoritarianism will go against every fibre of her being. For Gota, absolute power is the objective.

c) Jacinda is committed to pluralism; racism is anathema. Often, she went out comfort hurt people – non-white non-Christians. Minorities do not live in fear in NZ.

d) JA’s administration is not hand in glove with the military.

e) Both are pragmatists but JA does not rule by personal fiat overruling established procedures and norms

f) Gotabaya commands a slavish Parliament and a servile Cabinet, Jacinda does not

g) The courts in New Zealand are free; a recent crucial ruling proved that our judiciary is sycophantic.

To retain a balanced view, we must also take note of the big differences between the two countries.

h) GDP per capita in New Zealand is US$ 42,000, ours is a lowly US$ 4,100 (PPP).

i) NZ is not coming out a 30-year civil war which eroded democracy, gave the LTTE and the military a taste for blood and polarised communities. White racism legally ended in NZ decades ago.

j) In NZ people are not soaked in, nor is their consciousness submerged in racism.

k) NZ parliament is not semi-educated and corrupt, its Cabinet no refuge for those of corrupt repute. 

I put it to readers that though (h) to (k) are true, only (h) and (i) can be trotted out as excuses for the (a) to (g). An equally important consideration is the difference in character and ideological makeup of the two leaders. Nevertheless, it would be untrue to say that Gota’s administration is already unbridled authoritarian. Alarm bells are ringing and the red lights are blinking and 20A will translate the probable into the actual. 

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