Even before reading the text, if not between its lines, the more avid Wickremesinghe supporters would have made their first acerbic observations when they tuned in to Rupavahini at 9.30 last Tuesday morning, expecting to see the proceedings on television. After all, the policy statements of all previous governments in the past 20 years have been broadcast live. No such luck. Whether this was because of the media ministry's ineptitude or Wickremesinghe's well-known modesty, one is hard put to say (after all, the prime minister has already given directions that his portrait should not be displayed in public buildings and government offices). Unfortunately for Media Minister Imthias Bakeer Markar, it was the former conclusion to which many viewers jumped when faced with a lack-lustre musical show put up by Rupavahini instead. Ironically, Wickremesinghe rubbed salt into his wounds by stating in the course of his address that, "Parliamentary proceedings will be broadcast live through the media." Given that the policy statements of governments since the early 1980s have already been broadcast live, this is barely something to throw into the 100-day plan: it could have been done already, last Tuesday.

Since it was between the lines we must look for the true message in Wickremesinghe's statement, it is gratifying to note that he used the worth 'truth' no less than four times, and 'honest' a full nine times. That, after all, is very much in character for a man who is loath to promise what he cannot deliver. The phrase 'knowledge-based society' was uttered four times, reflecting the prime minister's ambition to bring information technology within the grasp of ordinary people throughout Sri Lanka. Likewise, the 'youth' received no less than eight mentions, all of them honourable, but it was 'international opinion' with 13 occurrences, that led the field, and not by a short head either. By contrast, no other sort of opinion received a mention, especially that of the domestic variety.

The statement made no mention of political violence, an end to victimisation of opposition supporters or measures to bring to justice thugs and hooligans of the ilk of Anuruddha Ratwatte's three sons. Neither did it make any mention of the UNP's much trumpeted promises while in opposition to dismiss parliament's Secretary General, Dhammika Kitulegoda, and impeach Chief Justice Sarath Silva and President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Wickremesinghe's reluctance to wave either a sword or an olive branch in the face of these erstwhile repositories of UNP rancour left his supporters confused and his opponents in the PA smug in the expectation that such complaisance would soon bring them back into office.

Unlike heads of previous Sri Lankan governments, Wickremesinghe has not retained any key ministries for himself. Even on Gamini Athukorale's death, the prime minister desisted from taking over, if only temporarily, the portfolios his able lieutenant vacated. Instead, he has focused single-mindedly on the peace process and chose to win or lose all upon the roll of that die. His courage is admirable, and that alone has helped stave off opposition criticism, although there is as yet precious little to criticise. However, the peace process will not pay the rent, and people are looking to the government increasingly for a plan of action, if not action itself. Sadly, the prime minister has yet not succeeded in placing an agenda before the people. With the 100-day programmes of the various ministries becoming public over the past fortnight, the intellectual vacuum in which most ministers operate is fast coming to light. Rather than provide targets that would be met, most ministers have presented only the most generalised plans, and even these for the most part consist of no more than the proposed appointment of innumerable committees and task forces to 'look into' a variety of problems. No likelihood of more rice on anyone's plate next year. Of broad, visionary thinking, it seems the UNF is utterly bankrupt.

There are, of course, the exceptions. A handful of ministers including Milinda Moragoda, Rajitha Senaratne, Rukman Senanayake and Ravi Karunanayake have shown signs of new thinking and a 'hands-on' style of management that will, no doubt, pay dividends. But the vast majority of the fifty-something ministers have shown about as much imagination and initiative as a chocolate blancmange. Being committed by virtue of the MOUs the UNP signed with its junior partners in the run up to the election to provide them with the choicest of portfolios, chairmanships and ambassadorial appointments, the tail that wags the UNF dog is fast threatening to derail the government entirely. Many ministries are soundly asleep, the ministers obsessed only with their petty perks.