EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY MUST REMAIN AND BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED – JVP A PROXY OF UNP AND LTTE
Posted on April 22nd, 2018
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Having a President like Maithreepala Sirisena cannot be a sound argument to do away with the Presidency. That selection was a cardinal mistake.
Sobhitha talked about the Constitution, like a Tyre with 17 patches. Now he is no more. Now we have the same Tyre with 19 patches. JVP want to add another. This motion by JVP is a virtual contractual arrangement with the group of UNP, SLMC, JVP, TNA and all anti Sri Lankan forces to abolish Presidency. The Executive Presidency should not be abolished as a punishment to President Maithreepala Sirisena. Restricting the EP for two years was a mistake, the amendment must be revoked. Candidates such as Maithreepala struggling to manage even his first year in his office. Maithreepala will never come to power again as President with a public mandate.
JVP is a spend force. They are trying as many political gimmicks as possible to rebuild a political image to enhance their vote base. JVP is hands in glove with corrupt. Former Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse confimed that he has positive evidence of JVP accepting cash from the UNP just before last general election. During past couple of years, JVP was part and parcel of the corrupt, inefficient Ranil – Maithree government. Now realizing the tide is turning away from government, to grab anti-government votes, Anura Kumara and his gang are working on several fronts to improve their image. In any 2019/20 elections, JVP will be wiped out of the political map. They killed Kotikawatte Saddhatissa Thera, destroyed Buddhist temples, killed hundreds of youth. JVP is the substitute for TNA in the South. In the coming Wesak JVP celebrate May day in Jaffna, by courtesy of their proxies, TNA. JVP score card in Presidential Elections were: In 1982 Rohana Wijeweera 273,000 votes ( or 4.19%) and in 1999 Nandana Gunatilleke 344,000 votes ( or 4.08%). In Parliamentary Elections 2010 441,000 votes ( or 5.49%), in 2015 543,000 votes ( or 4.87%) and in 2018 Local Elections 695,000 ( 6.26%). Erosion of vote base of JVP was very similar to the down fall of LSSP in elections in 1947, 1952, 1956, 1960 March, 1960 July, 1965, 1970 and 1977 managing 10%, 13%, 11%, 11%, 8%, 8%, 9% and 3.61% winning no seats in 1977. If Preferential System did not operate in 2015, JVP could have won between 0 and 1 seat.
If JVP had any sensible leader in the party, it was none other than Mr Wimal Weerawansa, who is now a highly recognized political national leader of Sri Lanka, with the likes of Mahinda Rajapakse, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Gotabaya Rajapakse, Nalaka Godahewa, Basil Rajapakse. DIG Anura Senanayake, Former Air Marshall Chief Harry Gunatilleke, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda etc. Wimal’s contribution in the past for the national agenda cannot be underestimated, he in most instances single handedly made robust and concise analysis of the proposed constitution highlighting its dangers to the Nation, well ahead of many other political leaders. His predictions, one by one, have come true. Wimal in fact set the national agenda for the Joint Opposition, in spite of threats for him and his family. Wimal richly deserves a long and successful political journey.
At a time President Mahinda Rajapakse had built a strong and effective Leadership Team for the future of Sri Lanka , it was sad a total stranger and a Pawn like Prez Maithreepala was elevated to the rank of Presidency.
Everyone, including Rosy Senanayake, talk about making Sri Lanka a country like Singapore. It is now time to stop soft peddling. You are invited to travel on the streets of Serangoon Road on any evening, specially on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Tamils worship at the nearby Kovil and eat their food on Banana Leaves and peacefully leave. They do not spit on the roads. They do not litter streets. They behave like dogs with their tales between the legs. If they ask Little India to be made a separate Eelam, what will happen to the Tamils in Singapore? Will they simply disappear to the thin air next morning!!!
Sinhalese must be settled in North and East in the same ratio of Sinhala-Tamil-Muslims in South and West. Buddhist temples and monasteries must be built in the same ratio to Churches, Kovils and Mosques in South and West. All Tamil and Muslim public schools must be merged with the General Public Schools.
The tasks ahead for Sri Lanka are enormous. Instead of abolishing Presidency, it must be further strengthened. Future President must have absolute power to revoke any legislation, if in his opinion, counter productive to public interest. For example he should have powers to rescind 13 and 19 Amendments, without being challenged in any Court of Law. Some may call it Dictatorship. So be it! But as an appetiser, lets call it GUIDED DEMOCRACY like in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Former Prime Minister Mr S W R D Bandaranaike, had State of Emergency for long periods, to combat trade union strikes organised by the his political enemies and Unions of Dr N M Perera and Mr Bala Thampoe. When asked by foreign journalists as to why he derail democracy in Sri Lanka by using State of Emergency, the Hon. P M said: We in Sri Lanka, if you have a continuous severe head ache, we use HISA KUDICHCHIYA ( an Ayurvedic traditional herbal paste placed on the head of the patient), and that stop the head ache. So what is wrong with it” he asked?
April 22nd, 2018 at 4:42 pm
Not so.
EP was somewhat justifiable during the war but not anymore. The real lethal nature of EP was seen in 2015. LTTE Rump along with India engineered a regime change via the presidential election. This will be the default position of the EP post-war where Tamil and Muslim block vote will decide who wins. Although Sinhalese are the majority, they are divided. This is a fact that must be accepted not resisted.
All the powers of the EP can be exercised by the Supreme Court and the Cabinet. No harm will be done to the territorial integrity of the nation.
Chandrika, Mahinda and Sirisena won the presidential election promising to abolish it! People voted for them to abolish it and it must be abolished. Otherwise TNA, SLMC, ACMC and CWC will always run the country via a proxy EP.
Wimal very strongly campaigned to abolish it until recently. Now he has changed his position because he thinks he will get nominations from SLPP to run for president as Gotabaya and Basil are US citizens. I fully support Weerawansa to be president than the rest but personal ambitions should not eclipse national requirements.
April 23rd, 2018 at 1:21 am
My point is – is this the best time to do this when the power is in the hands of Christian Ranil Wickramasinghe? Even with a lame duck Executive President in office he has done enough damage to our motherland with unconcerned and unconcealed arrogance taking the whole country hostage to his and his band of thieves’ daylight robberies!
At the moment, the nation has a fair chance of getting Gotabhaya Rajapakse elected as the next President of Sri Lanka and with that a chance it will not be politics as usual. We have a chance of getting rid of the old political coteries and into the hands of a new generations of politicians. I believe we must give that chance a go. On the other hand with Mahinda Rajapakse as the Prime Minister could be politics as usual and who know more of the same that led to his humiliating defeat in Jan 2015.
It is time our Motherland embarked on a journey abondoning the ‘dog eat dog’ politics of racial and religious hatred and bigotry with equal justice to all and special favours to none.
April 23rd, 2018 at 2:06 am
Brainless Sirisena should do now at this point is to sack Ranil the bank robber immediately and appoint someone from the balance 224 to save his face at least if not he will be a history very soon. He is the person responsible for all the mess we are in today in this country. He broke the unity of the UNP party as well as the SLFP party. He made a special achcharu of our beloved nation by taking stupid idiotic decisions on important issues concerns our country. He let down die hard SLFP party supporters very badly. He got the blame from every corner for his weak decisions and actions on governing the country. To get some plus marks he should do now is to sack the prime minister or dissolve the parliament and go for early elections. Citizens of this country should open their eyes and use their brains before voting this time. They should not repeat the mistake they did on Jan 8th 2015. Rajapaksa’s are better than all these scoundrels in the UNP,JVP,SLMC,HELA URUMAYA,TNA etc. They are all agents of the west and the Indian parasites. So be careful when voting. We need a leader who loves this nation, a true patriotic statesman not a spineless President like Appaya or the bank robber Ranil or a witch like Chandrika.
April 23rd, 2018 at 3:14 am
@Ratanapala
Now is the perfect time to abolish executive presidency. In another year’s time, all minority parties will be selling their separatist and racist demands to the two presidential election candidates. They will up their price in bidding and all major contestants will be competing to give them more and more.
Ranil is powerless in parliament without the backing of the executive president. His Cabinet is too diverse to push his own agenda.
April 23rd, 2018 at 3:44 am
I request this writer to show decency in addressing the Mahasangha. Look at how he has called the two monks by name.
I can remember I’ve once wrote the same to one of his previous articles too, an ignorant Buddhist or a non Buddhist .
April 23rd, 2018 at 4:53 am
EP and PC are an Indian Package imposed on the Sinhalese by the Indian Empire. Remember JRJ is a quarter Indian.
April 23rd, 2018 at 6:44 am
I agree with MDP, Executive Presidency should be preserved. This is no time to withdraw it giving more power to the Prime Minister. Executive Presidency could find means to challenge the extremist minority elements who now dictate Sri Lanka Government policies.
We cannot depend on Supreme Court to do what the Executive President would have to do. Even then Supreme Court cannot always be dependent; It gave a wrong judgment in the impeachment of CJ , no one speaks about it blaming the government for the impeachment which was in fact carried out correctly according to the Constitution, even if the reason for the impeachment is contested.
JVP is a useless political group, they should first decide whether they want Socialism or capitalism. As it is they are lost in political wilderness. Wimal Weerawansa is indeed a good and a rare politician. He has good ideas and not overtaken by political ambition for himself. He loves Sri Lanka above all.
I do not see what is so great about Singapore for Sri Lanka to be made a Singabore. Singapore is a very small country which has n’t got the same problems that we have. Some want Sri Lanka to follow South Afrika. Why ? Sri Lanka did not have an apartheid regime. South Africa’s wealth is still in the hands of the Whites. Sri Lanka is good enough as it it is. Those who want Sri Lanka to be like Singapore or South Africa, should migrate to those countries, but please do not come back if things are not so wonderful as they have heard.
April 23rd, 2018 at 1:59 pm
@Charles
Supreme Court is far more dependable than EP in protecting national interests. It has done so on many occasions even against the president.
e.g. PTOMS, Divi Neguma Bill, Super Ministry Bill, 20A
If Supreme Court judgement was properly followed by the EP in 1987, we won’t have 13A. That divided judgement was given under death threats!
EP manipulates the Supreme Court as much as he/she can. That is why it has been reduced in value, not otherwise. When EP is gone, the Supreme Court will be able to give better judgements all the time.
When it comes to actual voting to abolish EP, all anti-Sri Lankan elements (TNA, CWC, SLMC, ACMC) will vote against abolishing it. They are perennial kingmakers thanks only to EP.
April 24th, 2018 at 4:19 am
In Countries like Sri Lanka a very strong Leader is essential to make quick decisions and act quickly without waiting for courts to meet and give ruling on important political issues. Even a left wing Dictator is a better alternative to Sri Lanka rather than go on with stupid Yahapalanaya with Ranil and Sirisena kneeling before the whites and selling Sri Lanka’s sovereignty to USA and the West..
April 24th, 2018 at 5:26 am
Charles,
You can see now, public anger against the JVP proposal. Yes, JVP is acting for Ranil Wickremasinghe.
Within 2.5 years, this bunch destroyed a beautiful country painfully built by war heroes and majority sinhala nationalists.
April 24th, 2018 at 5:56 am
Heppos the Sinhala terrorist arm of India.
April 25th, 2018 at 12:38 am
In proposing the 20th Amendment JVP is carrying out a UNP proposal. Now it is clear that JVP of Anura Kumara Dissanayake is in political partnership with the UNP
April 25th, 2018 at 2:37 am
Charles,
The JVP only wants to destroy ALL other parties and gain CONTROL of the country by FAIR MEANS or FOUL.
To that end, it will do ANYTHING. It is not bound by notions of Patriotism, Honor or Justice in its NAKED SINGLE MINDED QUEST for Power. It was so in its EARLY DAYS of the UNENDING VIPLAVAYA, it has not changed ONE IOTA from that mindset.
It views BOTH the Unpatriotic UNP and the Patriotic Nationlist Parties, the SLPP, SLFP/UPFA as the ENEMIES it must DESTROY to gain its ends.
It KNOWS that the UNP is the WEAKER ENEMY given its ;ack of support among the VOTERS of the Majority Community.
It KNOWS that MR/SLPP, with or without the help of the SLFP/UPFA is the GREATER THREAT to itself, given its POPULARITY among the VOTERS of the Majority Community.
So, it ALLIES itself, TEMPORARILY with the UNP, to DESTROY the Patriotic Forces of the combined MR/SLPP/SLFP/UPFA parties KNOWING that once it has done that, it can always DEMONIZE the UNP as a FOREIGN & MINORITY supported PUPPET.
ALL of JVP’s SEEMINGLY CONTRARY and CONTRADICTORY actions can be EXPLAINED in THESE TERMS: its SINGLE-MINDED QUEST to HOIST itself into the DRIVERS SEAT.
However, it does so IN VAIN, for the Sinhala Buddhist DOES NOT TRUST the JVP now. The MURDEROUS TREACHEROUS, ultimately Anti-Sinhala-Buddhist actions of the JVP in the PAST and the PRESENT are TOO WELL ETCHED in our Sinhala Buddhist minds for us to allow the JVP any opportunity to ENSLAVE US to their HIDDEN DICTATORIAL PROLETARIAT!
April 26th, 2018 at 5:09 am
Dirook,you take one example 2015 Jan to justify your claim to abolish EP but completely ignore the comedy that is now taking place in the Parliament.
Jan 2015 was a well planned hit which will be almost impossible to repeat.