There is a common thread running through several of today’s stories. At first glance, they appear unrelated. One concerns an accused person who failed to return to Sri Lanka after being permitted to travel overseas.
Another concerns allegations involving the use of State vehicles. A third tells of a police officer being shot with his own service weapon. A fourth records the resignation of the Mayor of Negombo.
Different people. Different institutions. Different circumstances.
Yet they all raise the same underlying question.
How much is public trust worth?
The answer, of course, is that it cannot be measured in rupees. Once lost, it is among the most difficult commodities for any institution to regain.
The justice system functions because courts trust that those granted bail will honour the conditions attached to that freedom. Sureties, in turn, are not ceremonial signatures or acts of goodwill.
They are solemn undertakings given to the judiciary that an accused person will present himself or herself when required.
When those undertakings fail, the consequences extend beyond the individual case. Confidence in the bail process itself begins to erode.
The same principle applies to public property. Every government vehicle, every office, every item purchased with public funds belongs not to the politician or the public servant using it, but to the taxpayer.
When those undertakings fail, the consequences extend beyond the individual case. Confidence in the bail process itself begins to erode.
The same principle applies to public property. Every government vehicle, every office, every item purchased with public funds belongs not to the politician or the public servant using it, but to the taxpayer.
Allegations concerning the misuse of State assets therefore strike a particularly sensitive nerve because they raise questions about stewardship of resources entrusted by the public.
Even the disturbing incident involving a police officer allegedly being shot with his own firearm ultimately concerns trust. Citizens place extraordinary powers in the hands of law enforcement officers.
Those powers include the lawful use of force. Society is therefore entitled to expect that police officers will receive the training, equipment and operational support necessary to carry out their duties safely and professionally. When a service weapon ends up in the hands of a suspect, it becomes imperative to understand why.
Then there is the resignation of Negombo’s Mayor. Resignations are often interpreted through partisan lenses. Supporters see sacrifice. Opponents see admission.
The truth is that public office carries responsibilities extending beyond the individual occupying it. Whether one resigns or remains, the institution itself must continue to command confidence.
This is why democracies place such emphasis on institutions rather than personalities. Governments change. Ministers come and go. Mayors resign. Court cases begin and conclude. But the credibility of the institutions serving the public must endure.
Sri Lanka has, over many decades, invested considerable energy in debating personalities. We have spent rather less time discussing institutional resilience. The result is that whenever controversy arises, attention immediately shifts to individuals rather than to the systems that either succeeded or failed.
Perhaps it is time to reverse that habit.
The question is not simply whether one accused returned to court, whether one official vehicle was misused or whether one resignation occurred.
Public Trust….
The larger question is whether the institutions responsible for administering justice, safeguarding public assets, maintaining public order and delivering local government continue to function as citizens expect them to.
Be that as it may, public trust is not restored by speeches, press conferences or political slogans.
It is earned quietly, case by case, decision by decision and institution by institution. That remains the greatest challenge facing Sri Lanka – not merely rebuilding confidence in individuals, but rebuilding confidence in the State itself.
