JATHIKA JANA BALAVEGAYA (NPP)

JATHIKA JANA BALAVEGAYA (NPP)
 W e do not need a sophisticated grasp of statistics
or politics to understand the socio-economic
catastrophe that has befallen our country due to the
misguided economic and social policies pursued by
various governments since independence. A corrupt
political culture that has become entrenched in Sri
Lankan society, grew over many decades. We only
need to look at the current struggle people endure to
secure their daily essentials to realize the severity of the
economic crisis facing Sri Lanka. To feel and experience
this crisis we need not know about our rapidly declining
foreign reserves or how indebted we have become as
a country. Simply trying to buy some groceries or not
knowing whether the gas cylinder you purchased will
explode is sufficient evidence of the precariousness of
our lives.
There are too many examples of how widespread this
crisis is and how it has spread like a cancer across our
society. Parents who are forced to pursue politicians and
officials to admit a child to school, or the children who
relentlessly pursue tuition and pass their A/Ls but do
not have access to higher education or the children who
drop out of school because of economic hardship are all
manifestations of this crisis and how it has ruined our
education system.
The fact that a country that boasts a ‘free’ healthcare
where households have to spend more than 50% of their
2 income on personal health is ample evidence of the
problems in our country's health policy. Our elders suffer
the indignity of having to queue for hours to receive
a meagre senior citizen’s allowance. Other elders are
abandoned on streets, left to fend for themselves, with
no system to take care of them in their twilight years.
Widespread domestic violence is another indicator
of the levels of frustration in this society and how
dangerous life in Sri Lanka has become.
The young people thronging passport queues
desperate to leave this country because they see no
future for themselves is a clear indicator of the sense of
helplessness that has engulfed our youth. Businesses are
collapsing because the problems of small and medium
scale entrepreneurs are unaddressed while crony
businessmen close to the government become mega-
rich. These are all indicators of the economic crisis that is
sweeping across Sri Lanka.
Unregulated development, often carried out by Elders are
those with political influence, is resulting in frequent abandoned
loss of life and property due to natural disasters such on streets,
as landslides and floods on a scale we have never seen left to
before. This shows how even our natural environment fend for
has been corrupted by this cancer of political and social themselves,
dishonesty. with no
system to
The current government attempts to place the blame take care
for these multiple crises on the pandemic. However, of them in
what the pandemic has exposed are long-standing their twilight
weaknesses in our social, political and economic years.
institutions. These are nothing new. We have inherited
an economy and a society that cannot withstand a
natural disaster or an unexpected emergency. This
situation is the logical outcome of misguided policies 3
 and priorities we have pursued for many decades.
It is not just us but the whole world is experiencing a
similar crisis. The world economy has grown, but it has
grown in a way that has created tremendous inequality.
The Earth's environment has been devastated. As a
result, the entire world has begun to think and move in
a different direction. Many today believe that we need
to build a more just, compassionate, and humane world.
Although this is not an easy task, we believe that at least
a few initial steps need to be taken towards this change.
There is an awakening of such a spirit all over the world.
We have nowhere left to turn nor a moment to lose.
Continuing on this disastrous path will endanger not
only our lives but the lives of many generations to come,
including those of our own children. At this point, should
Continuing we not awaken our conscience to stand for a profound
on this and broad change? Is it not time we revisit these
disastrous destructive socio-economic policies and join hands with
path will a political movement capable of achieving this change?
endanger
As the National People's Power (NPP), we
not only
present some initial ideas and proposals for laying
our lives
the foundation to achieve the socio-economic
but the lives
transformation that our society desperately needs.
of many
We invite you to join us to refine these proposals and
generations
become a partner in making them a reality.
to come,
including
those of Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP)
our own 2021 December
children.

4
 A Thriving Economy Instead of a
Dependent Economy
It is very clear that the current economic crisis is a result
of irrational economic strategies pursued by successive
governments of our country and compounded by fraud,
corruption and waste.
Introduced in 1977, the Open Economic Policy has been
destructive through its prioritization of personal gain over
social responsibility. A clear indicator of the culture of
greed this economic system has bred is how a select group
of people benifits, and profit from fraudulent and corrupt
business practices even in the face of the pandemic. This
culture of greed and the destructive economic thinking
that shapes it has also created a system of political power
centred in the hands of a few. This anti-democratic
economic system is not unique to our country, but a global
economic and political trend that has been followed to
varying degrees by successive governments that have
ruled Sri Lanka in the last few decades.
This economic policy laid the foundation for the severe
economic crisis that we face today. Instead of prioritizing
and strengthening production, the key features of this
policy are the unnecessary expansion of financialisation,
austerity measures subsidy cuts, creating market
monopolies, inefficient and excessive borrowing, and
sale of public property and state-owned enterprises to a
small coterie of favoured individuals and companies. This
policy, which gradually evolved, is called neoliberalism. Its
operation, alongside globalization, allowed the domination 5
 of financialisation and created an artificial financial market
that created economic bubbles, deviated from commodity
production. One of its worst consequences was the
global financial crisis which affected the United States in
2006. Although the crisis was temporarily alleviated by
state intervention, crises are an endemic feature of this
economic system and we are currently heading towards a
global recession.
Analyzing the post-independence development of the
Sri Lankan economy reveals that the economy has not
been managed systematically to achieve an eco-friendly
and people-friendly society for a better life for all. Instead
of being able to claim a significant share of foreign trade,
it has failed to even preserve the place Sri Lanka occupied
in the past. Borrowing for narrow political interests and
personal financial interests of rulers rather than borrowing
Instead of
for economic development priorities, and rampant fraud
being able
to claim a and corruption have pushed the state towards bankruptcy.
significant The country is now victim to a vicious cycle of debt and a
share of crisis of foreign exchange reserves.
foreign trade,
it has failed
to even
preserve
the place
Sri Lanka
occupied in
the past

6
 Our Approach
We advocate a value-added economic approach
that considers which products and services should be
manufactured, which production methods should be
adopted, which technologies to use, how to utilise
human and physical resources, how foreign trade
structure should be shaped and how benefits of the
manufacturing process should be shared among the
people. At the same time we envision a new approach
that takes into account humanity, social justice, eco-
friendliness, economic sustainability, the specificities
of our history and culture, public participation,
optimal resource utilization and economic democracy.
• A comprehensive national plan on economic
development goals to be achieved in the short, To
medium and long term provide an
• Prepare the human resources required to opportunity
implement the above plan for every
citizen to
• To provide an opportunity for every citizen participate in
to participate in the collective task of nation- the collective
building, in the public and private sectors task of
• Food security, quality and safety to take nation-
precedence in the production process building, in
the public
• Gradually discourage the importation of goods
and private
that can be produced locally
sectors
• Introducing technology, new methods,
creativity and innovative products to all sectors
to increase productivity 7
 • Call for industries and foreign investments
with new technology that will generate the
economic growth required to achieve our
economic goals.
• An export oriented approach with value-added
products taking into account global trends and
promote the production of goods and services
that can generate more foreign exchange by
joining the global supply chain.
• Modernization of the agriculture and the
fisheries industries through a network that
extends from the farm to international markets.
• Finance green projects through the issuance of
long-term green bonds to mitigate the adverse
effects of global climate change
Introduce • Increase the number of companies and
a naval professionals in relevant fields to enhance
service hub
the GDP contribution and foreign exchange
with state
of the art earnings in the technology sector and improve
technology our position in the Technology Competitiveness
taking Index and ensure Citizen and Government
advantage Digital Literacy
of the
geographical • Introduce a naval service hub with state of
location of the art technology taking advantage of the
Sri Lanka geographical location of Sri Lanka
• Redesign the tourist industry based on
promoting Sri Lanka’s climatic, geographical,

8 and cultural diversity

 Government Debt
We intend to present a more detailed proposal
to resolve the foreign debt problem under an NPP
government. This note only points out the main measures
we have identified to increase the capacity for debt
servicing and stabilise foreign reserves.
• The people who are responsible for creating the
Sri Lankan debt trap will not be allowed to escape
from their liabilities. A commission of experts will
be appointed to conduct a thorough investigation
and audit of all current foreign debt
• Develop a formal plan for the next 5 years showing
how to improve the level of foreign reserves
• Work diplomatically with counterparts to
restructure debt repayment and obtain debt relief
• Provide a reliable and transparent mechanism Work
diplomatically
for our overseas workers, and members of the
with
diaspora to remit foreign exchange and invest in counterparts
new entrepreneurial ventures in Sri Lanka that are to
needed to bring foreign exchange to the country restructure
debt
repayment
and obtain
debt relief

9
 Eco Structures
When an employer, employee or any other party
works according to individual goals and objectives
in the existing goods and service production chains
under various structures, different types of conflicts
can arise among them. Under an NPP government, an
environment conducive to decision making based on
knowledge and consensus to increase efficiency and
productivity minimising conflict so that production and
distribution processes can be more democratic will be
established. We will encourage structures that priorotise
national production and industry, which take collective
responsibility with democratic decision making systems.
We will study and learn from current global trends in this
regard.
• Prevent monopolies and oligarchies in the market
Prevent
and introduce new organisational structures
monopolies
and • Introduce networking structures for production and
oligarchies in distribution in small and medium scale industrial
the market production, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries
and introduce sectors
new
organisational
structures

10
 Eliminate Fraud, Corruption,
and Waste
The neo-liberal economy is a political-economic
network of fraud, corruption, and theft. This is obvious
from the fact that no one who robs public property can be
brought to justice and punished in the current context.
• Those who steal public property should be
punished through a formal judicial process and such
property should be recovered and re-invested to
improve public services
• Transform the government's economic operations
system to a comprehensive e-governance system
• Introduce technology to eliminate corruption, fraud
and to maintain high financial discipline The
government’s
primary
Social Security responsibility
is to provide
All people and communities living in our society the socio-
economic
should have the basic facilities required to live with environment
dignity, security, and justice. The government’s for the well-
primary responsibility is to provide the socio-economic being of
environment for the well-being of all citizens in general, all citizens
in general,
especially, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.
especially,
In doing so, the government will ensure that social security women,
is not considered a commodity and develop a social children, the
protection plan that involves both the public and private elderly, and the
sectors. disabled.

11
 Education
Education plays a significant role in enabling the social
mobility in Sri Lanka. Moreover, producing citizens with
values essential for a democratic and pluralistic society
is possible only through education. That is why free
education is an important priority for us. The role of the
government is of great importance for maintaining a
quality education system with the objective of developing
economic and human resources.
• Free education from early childhood to higher
education
• Equal opportunities to all persons to access
education based on skills and ability
• Structural changes in education, using specialized
knowledge and relevant data
• Measures to regulate the quality as well as fees of
Free private education
education
from early • Measures to regulate postgraduate studies in both
childhood public and private higher education sectors
to higher • Gradual and planned allocation of a minimum of
education 6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for
education

12
 Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is
a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. The
wellbeing of all people is a major factor as it contributes
to the advancement of their living status and social
development.
A set of
• A health system that provides all citizens with
actions to
necessary treatments by constantly monitoring
reduce the
their health
percentage of
• A quality health service to all citizens without the income of
discrimination on the grounds of gender, income or a family unit
social status, profession etc. allocated for
• A set of actions to reduce the percentage of the healthcare
income of a family unit allocated for healthcare
• A minimum of 5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product
on healthcare
• Taking measures to increase the active and healthy
lifespan of a citizen 13
 Culture, Arts and
Entertainment
Culture is a field that should be free. Therefore we
believe it is the responsibility of the government to ensure
the conditions required to enjoy a cultural life. Today,
this particular area has become something that the
general public cannot enjoy. The field of culture has much
potential to provide the general public burdened with
livelihood struggles to engage in arts and entertainment
and to develop their artistic taste and be creative. An
NPP government will extend its support in numerous
ways to implement a comprehensive arts and cultural
programme, which will be planned with participation from
artists representing different creative fields like cinema,
theatre, dance, music, literature, painting, sculpture, and
The field of traditional crafts.
culture has
much potential
to provide the
general public
burdened with
livelihood
struggles
to engage
in arts and
entertainment
and to develop
their artistic
taste and be
creative.

14
 Public Transport
Commuters are a diverse group (men, women, adults,
children, and differently-abled) that have a multiplicity Quality and
of transport requirements. Therefore, arrangements will quantity-
be made to maintain a transportation service, which wise
responds to their diverse requirements. development
of the public
• Gradual transformation towards an environmental-
transport
friendly, efficient, reliable, secure, and dignified service to
public transport system provide 80
• Quality and quantity-wise development of the per cent of
public transport service to provide 80 per cent of people’s
people’s mobility requirements within a decade mobility
requirements
• Promotion of different modes of transportation within a
(pedestrian walkways, cycle lanes, and waterways decade
etc.)

15
 Women
Our primary objective is to bring the socio-economic,
cultural and political issues affecting women in the context
of the current crisis to the forefront of Sri Lankan political
discourse. Due to the marginalization of women from
major socio-economic, cultural, and political activities,
they are constantly subjected to injustice, discrimination,
and inequality. This situation is prevalent in the home, in
society and the community, in the workplace, and in all
walks of life. Although the role of women seems to have
superficially expanded, it has also put unbearable pressure
on women.
• Take steps to reduce vulnerability of women who
have become the lead actors in the economy due to
the feminization of labour
• Act against the persecution and oppression of
socially marginalized sections of society such as
same-sex, transgender, and other communities.
Reform laws Strive towards a society where freedom and
to prevent equality for all are guaranteed and where people
discrimination can live free from violence and oppression
based on • Reform laws to prevent discrimination based on
gender and gender and sexuality
sexuality
• Enable women’s political representation and
participation
• Oppose all forms of violence, including
institutionalized forms of violence, and update the
laws against ongoing violence

16
• Oppose gender stereotypes that are reproduced
and perpetuated by various institutions such
as education, religion, media, etc., and create
alternative discourses and make necessary
interventions to reduce prejudices, stereotypes,
and superstitions perpetuated by society

Oppose
gender
stereotypes
that are
reproduced
and
perpetuated
by various
institutions
such as
education,
religion,
media, etc.

17
 Children and the Youth
• Strengthen the coordination between the
institutional systems for child protection, namely
the judiciary, probation, social services and the
National Child Protection Authority
• Propose structural and legal reforms needed for a
strong child protection system
• Prioritize the participation of the youth in
implementing the political, economic, and social
changes required to create a society that respects
the justice and equality that the youth aspire to

Propose
structural
and legal
reforms
needed for a
strong child
protection
system

18
 Elders
Services will be established to enable the growing
elderly community of our country to live safely, happily,
and productively. Taking care of them is a social
responsibility of the government.

Persons with disabilities

Implement special programmes for the special needs of
persons with disabilities in the provision of services such as
health, education, and transport, while recognizing their
equal rights to enjoy opportunities, privileges, and rights.

19
 Political Reforms
Lack of democratization of the state is a major problem
faced by Sri Lanka. Therefore, the following reforms will
be made to facilitate good governance and to establish a
system in which democracy and people’s sovereignty are
ensured.
• A strong parliament with a cabinet accountable
to parliament instead of an executive presidency
where power is arbitrarily concentrated in one
person.
• A President elected by parliament as the head of
state and armed forces
• A system of governance led by the prime minister
and the cabinet, following the principles of checks
and balances among the executive, legislature, and
judiciary

Abolish
special People's Representatives
privileges • Abolish special privileges granted to elected
granted representatives
to elected • Ensure the right of the citizen to access information
representatives about the assets and qualifications of those elected
as public representatives and the right of the citizen
to challenge false information
• Constitutional reforms to include the right to recall
people's representatives
• A pool of public vehicles for members of parliament
20 and other means to encourage sharing of resources
 Sri Lankan Nation
• To introduce a new system of governance that
decentralises political and administrative power
based on democracy, equal representation, and
participation, affirming the Sri Lankan identity of
all nationalities in the country and to make the
Provincial Councils formal and efficient institutions
• A commission with powers to prevent
discrimination against any individual or social group
based on nationality, religion, caste, language,
gender, or sexuality
• Steps to acknowledge cultural differences between
different communities and to promote coexistence
within this cultural diversity

Steps to
A Proud and Independent acknowledge
Country cultural
• A non-aligned foreign policy that acknowledges differences
the reality of geopolitics and regional balance of between
power and is not biased towards any camp in global different
politics communities
and to
• Liaise with international and regional organisations promote
to work with mutual respect and cooperation to coexistence
find solutions to socio-economic issues arising within this
globally and locally cultural
diversity

21
 National Security
National security is primarily ensured by pursuing a
friendly and non-partisan foreign policy and listening to
the just demands of people of all ethnicities and religions.
• Implementation of a mechanism that protects the
freedom and security of citizens, independence,
territorial integrity, sovereignty, and dignity of the
country
• A consistent and diplomatic conflict resolution
mechanism to deal with and overcome internal
military, political, economic and cultural threats
and to face international threats against national
security
• Establishment of mechanisms for early detection
of threats to public safety posed by natural
Implementation disasters, epidemics, famine as well as industrial
of a and environmental pollution, and protection of civil
mechanism liberties of citizens in such cases
that protects
• Ensuring stability in internal coexistence by
the freedom
and security preventing religious and cultural conflicts between
of citizens, different communities and establishing peace
independence, among the people
territorial
integrity,
• Prevent the impact of technological threats on
sovereignty, national security and expand cyber security
and dignity of
the country

22
 Judiciary
We aim to enable the public to seek justice without any
restrictions and to create a quality and efficient judicial
service that is accessible to the people.
• Establish and strengthen the present Judicial
Service Commission to be independent so as to
allow the judiciary to function without political
interference and to grant appointments and
promotions only on merit and qualification
• Decentralise activities so that any citizen of the
country can file a case in the Supreme Court
in cases of violation of fundamental rights and
implement a programme to provide free legal aid

23
 We have nowhere le� to turn nor a moment to
lose. Con�nuing on this disastrous path will
endanger not only our lives but the lives of many
genera�ons to come, including those of our own
children. At this point, should we not awaken our
conscience to stand for a profound and broad
change?Is it not �me we revisit these destruc�ve
socio-economic policies and join hands with a
poli�cal movement capable of achieving this
change?
As the Na�onal People's Power (NPP), we
present some ini�al ideas and proposals for
laying the founda�on to achieve the
socio-economic transforma�on that our society
desperately needs. We invite you to join us to
refine these proposals and become a partner in
making them a reality.

JATHIKA JANA BALAVEGAYA (NPP)

www.npp.lk
nppsrilanka@gmail.com
www.youtube.com/c/NPPSRILANKA