Our democracy is alive and well; you can shut up, Thanks
Posted on September 12th, 2010
Ajit Randeniya
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The hue and cry over the alleged ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”death of democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in Sri Lanka following the parliamentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s overwhelming (167-18) approval of the 18th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution almost resembles that followed President RajapakseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s rejection of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”trickƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ proposal (too clever by half!) of Robert Blake, Eric Solheim, David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner to secure ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”safe passageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for Prabhakaran to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”a third countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ during the final stages of the war.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As to local mourners, the usual ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”twisted jungiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ brigade at The Sunday Leader went to party: the often complained about episodes of wet and psychotic dreams of the veteran ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SerendipityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ columnist (whose greatest gift to Sri Lankan English language journalism was a spy named D. Sivaram), appeared to have taken a turn for the worse, with him kicking his partner in bed! The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”award winningƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Lansi scumƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, also known as the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Renaissance ManƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ assisted the reader with material for a belly laugh by daring to call other Sri Lankan journalists ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”idiotsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢! The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”editorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ who seems to resemble ‘a Scarlet Queen Turnip on sticks’ in real life carried on murdering the queen as usual; Democracy does not need enemies with friends like these!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Moving on to the Sunday Times, (which by the way should be ordered to reveal its ownership by RanilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s uncle -motherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s brother actually- Ranjit Wijewardene) carried little else than rants about this alleged ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”end of democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in Sri Lanka resulting from the 18th Amendment. All its columnists were weeping, including the political editor whose foray in to the area of legal precedents had proven disastrous due to his failure to distinguish between the Bills he quotedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the Constitution amendment per se. But again, does not matter.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The other half of this unholy alliance between foreign money and domestic political desperation, the US and UK manipulators also chipped in with their own pungent (or smelly?) remarks: the self-appointed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”midwifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of democracy for the world, the US, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”condemnedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the passage of the 18th Amendment apparently because it ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”underminedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ democracy; they went on to add that they are “concerned that this constitutional amendment weakens checks and balances and thus undermines the principles of constitutional democracy”. These self-appointed guardians of our democracy would like us to take steps to strengthenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ independentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ institutions, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”increase transparencyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and promote national reconciliation.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”concernsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ were represented in the latest edition of the Rupert Murdoch-owned The Economist, in an editorial titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s constitutional amendment: Eighteenth time unluckyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, suggesting that President Mahinda RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s new powers are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unnecessary and dangerousƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In order to see the totally ridiculous nature of these typically ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”over the topƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ attacks of the local political desperadoes and their foreign puppet masters led by the international conspirator, the US, one only needs to look in to the actual ‘effect’ of the 18th Amendment: all it has done is, through an amendment to the Constitution, sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the country, to remove the statutory limitation on the number of terms a president can contest the elections.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This writer for one is struggling to see as to how this change can be interpreted as marking the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”deathƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, or even a threat to, democracy in Sri Lanka; after all, the current president or any future incumbent will still have to face the people and be duly re-elected in order to continue as president. IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t that the essence of democracy? So why these disingenuous cries of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the sky is falling downƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢? The president has not decided to stay in power without being duly re-elected, has he?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The question then is as to what factors are behind these feigned and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unrealƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ concerns for the health and vitality of democracy in Sri Lanka, coming from local and foreign sources? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The local concerns arise from the fears of the minor political entities (such as the UNP and the JVP) that they will ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”neverƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ be able to win a democratically held presidential election again; they learnt from the last presidential election that the political awareness and wariness of the Sri Lankan people will ensure that no candidate they can produce could rival President Rajapakse, let alone be seriously considered as an alternative president.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The foreign conspirators on the other hand, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”naturallyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ dislike strong developing country leaders such as President Rajapakse who have the vision, strength,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the confidence of the citizenry; they know they will be unable to manipulate such leaders.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While one can attribute the concerns of the local frauds and fools to desperation, the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”concernsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the naked emperor and their attempt to intervene in Sri Lanka’s domestic constitutional matters need to be rejected in no uncertain terms. Their shameless preaching, it must be pointed out, is not welcome simply because the particular devices and processes they prescribe (that presumably exist in their own country), have not worked, and are not working in their country to serve the democratic aim of empowering the people.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The reason why the US system limits presidency to two terms is so that the Zionist lobby who run America can a) reward obedience with a second term, and b) so that they could respond to the world waking-up to the frauds they employ. They deployed the same provision for the post of UN secretary general, for the same reasons.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The other dangerous irony in these dishonest, feigned ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”concernsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ about the Sri Lankan democracy is that the world is being subjected to it while the same evil forces have just completed the worst undermining of democracy in Britain and Australia through bloodless coups.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The operation of their version of democracy in the US, UK, Canada and Australia give the public no opportunity to influence policy, especially foreign policy, and the only ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ they enjoy is that of casting a vote every three or four years, to which they are cajoled, or forced.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ At the elections, the people are given ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HobsonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s choiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of choosing between two parties fully controlled by ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”faceless groupsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ behind the scenes, and their leaders who are given the job after careful vetting of their views on key issues such as market supremacy, low taxation of the rich, privatisation of government assets and above all, Palestinian rights (in essence, no rights). Foreign policy is out-of-bounds for political debate! ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The opportunity to vote ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”used toƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ give the people a false sense of empowerment, but it is changing fast with the proportion of people in these countries not voting at all or casting informal votes increasing steadily. The events that followed the last British and Australian elections signify the response of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”facelessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to the growing disillusionment among the public with the so-called democratic process in these countries. The ideological ground is now being shifted to sow the seed of the idea that the people are not interested in political ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”partiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ anymore, but only of their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”bread and butterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ issues.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”facelessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ puppet masters, as usual, are turning adversity in to opportunity through this subtle manipulation; they further remove the general public from having a say on issues and decisions affecting their lives, and gain more control of governments by dealing with ‘individuals’ rather than structured political parties with policy ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”positionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The practical effects of this latest ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”trendƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ manifested in Britain with the union between the Tories and National Democrats, and in Australia, a couple of ex-conservative MPs assisting the Labor Party in to government. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These alliances defy logic if one attempts to find any kind of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”fitƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ between the faction that form minority governments; the common factor in both these cases was the necessity for keeping strident pro-Israeli groups in power, with the help of closet-Zionists.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka has the heritage, conventions and above all, a leader with appropriate vision, strength and popularity to be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ruler for lifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ if he so desires. The average American on the other hand, does not have much more say in their governance than a wounded soldier undergoing surgery in a field hospital in Kandahar! Their two political parties, the congress, and the White House are fully controlled by the Zionists, dragging the country and its image to hell with the lobby group. No thanks, we donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t need a bar of US style democracy!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The 18th Amendment will safeguard our democracy according to our wishes.
September 12th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Well, who cried foul at JRJ when he EXTENDED PRESIDENT’S TERM and PARLIAMENTARIANS TERM BY HOLDING A FAKE REFERENDUM IN 1980’s exersicing INTIMIDATION, THREATS, ETC ETC TO RETAIN 5/6th POWER??? None!!!
September 12th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
The absolution of term limits can be stomached if Sri Lanka has independent institutions to safeguard the people’s choice. We all know that all the institutions are controlled by the Rajapakse’s and their local and foreign sycophants who can’t wait to curry their favour and lick their arses. To argue that unlimited power should be thrust upon the President because he won the war and defied the West is the most insane argument that I have ever heard. Ending the war was the prerogative of the Sri Lankan President as he is the guardian of the country’s sovereignty. For that he has our eternal gratitude. However, to use that gratitude to latch on to power in perpetuity and flout the rule of law by employing despicable clowns such as Mervyn Silva is a great insult to the courageous history of this country.
The argument here seems to be one of tit-for-tat. JR tried to do it, so Mahinda has to do one better. What kind of nonsense is this? Sri Lanka is not the personal domain of any single individual,;any single party; any single caste, creed or ethnicity. It is the country of over 22 million people and every single one of us have a right to be governed according to democratic principles that uphold the great history of over 2500 years. Sri Lanka is not the personal domain of anybody, where only the chosen get to have rights and enjoy a decent standard of living. Sri Lanka is not anybody’s damn plantation. It didn’t belong to the British; it didn’t belong to the Senanayakas, the Jayawardenas and the Bandaranaikas. It certainly does not belong to the Rajapakses.
September 12th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
We have a British styled Parliament from 1948. What was before?
Did UNP follow democracy? No!
Now we elect our law makers who make the laws. Let the people to decide and not the Americans or their tail pieces in Sri Lanka.
But people like Mervyn Silva get powers must be checked even though they are elected becuse their public display of lunacy cannot be democratic.
Will the President cleanup the POLICE because our police is still behave like the COLONIAL police and not like the Sri Lankan People Police!
September 13th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Under the system we had before the 1978 Constitution there were no restrictions on the Prime Minister contesting any number of elections. If so why have restrictions on the President, especially a President who had salvaged the country from terrorists. Further , JR was toying with the same idea. But Premadasa was against it as he was earmarked to take over.
It is the bankrupt politicians like the UNP, JVP and the DNA who are against the Amendment as they can never give a run to the President.
September 13th, 2010 at 6:51 am
The 18th amendment required a 2/3rd majority in the parliment of elected members. The Govt made up of all communities from a number of political parties did not have this majority on their own but received the required votes from members in opposition parties, such as the UNP, the SLMC and TNA. So how can anybody accuse the President of changing the constitution undemocratically, when it was through a parlimentary vote that this change was implemented. For some people democracy is to do things as dictated by the USA, EU or UK.
I think democracy is alive and well in SriLanka but as mentioned by someone in his comments, independent institutions necessary for a democracy should be further safeguarded. I’m confident this will be so, as the President has so far done things through the much valued democratic process of majority vote.
September 13th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I like Mr. A. Sooriarachi’s comment. Now the president has enough power to control elected members like Mervyn silva and unruly policeman with a colonial attitude. let us give him a chance to do a good job with the new additional powers he may have assumed before making unnecessary allegations. There is nothing wrong in having family members in the government as they have been duly elected by the people. Allegations should only be based on verifyable facts and not heresay.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Referring to the 18th Amendment, you say, “all it has done is, through an amendment to the Constitution, sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the country, to remove the statutory limitation on the number of terms a president can contest the elections”.
Sorry, but that is NOT all that 18A does. 18A – that was rushed through with almost obscene haste – also repeals 17A and gives the President even greater powers than before and effective control over independent institutions including the Police, the Elections Commission and the judiciary. It also takes away from the Election Commission the power to issue directions to prevent political parties from using state resources for their benefit during elections.
The reason given by you for the US limit of two terms for its President, makes for interesting reading but I wonder how well founded it is. I am aware that the Jewish lobby (or Zionist lobby as you state), not unlike other powerful groups, wields enormous clout in the US but I don’t know that we can attribute everything to their authorship!
September 15th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Ajith marvelous article.
Chian Kai Shek, Batista, Augusto Pinochet, P.W.Botha, Dihn Diem, Franco, Marcos, Suharto, Charles Taylor, Noriega, Shah, Park Chung Hee, King Abdulla, Somoza (Nicaragua), Mobutu Sese Seko (Congo), Idi Amin: all those notorious dictators came to power with the help of CIA. This list is longer but I mentioned only few most notorious names. USA backed them throughout and every criminal act of those dictators approved by USA, UK and Anglo Saxon colonies. (Canada, Australia and New Zealand) Same USA and UK is highly worried on our democracy. We don’t want their advice us on our internal and policy matters. Through Adela Balasingham pommies can advice to racist eelam tamils but not to us. Yankees and Pommies still live in 18th Century and they think that they know everything.
British rather than advice others they better abolish their feudalist ruling system first. People of Britain do not have rights to appoint head of state. Elizabeth appointed by her family not the people of Britain. Next head of state Charles or his son will appoint by their family! Isn’t this feudalism? So-called parliament’s “house of lords” is a typical feudalist organ. On what right Anglo-Saxons have advices us on democracy? In Sri Lanka, people have elected their President and the Parliament. That is real democracy.
“At the elections, the people are given ‘Hobson’s choice’…. This is the best paragraph that exposed so called western democracy. They interested in ‘bread and butter’ issues and Rupert Murdoch’s media created gossip or so-called celebrity’s sex acts. Western democracy is not even good for kindy kids. Yankees and pommies mind your own business.