Geethanjana Kudaligamage

Why Executive Presidency Must be Preserved and Prevailed?

People make mistakes. And one of the mistakes that the United States constantly made was that it could intervene and somehow adjust people’s governments”

Wesley K. Clark, Sr. Retired General of the United States Army.

Today in this era of globalization of late capitalism, where color revolutions are frequent occurrence, deposing elected presidents has become a new normal like in Ukraine, and civil war situations that are largely waged by foreign mercenaries to topple elected leaders like in Syria, have become justifiable things of the global political culture of our time. The justification of this kind of culture has been maintained due to the near monopoly of media that controls the flow of information world over. They have become sole authority for the explanations and above all, the interpretations of these situations. This giant media apparatus is owned by about six larger western corporations. For them, it is not the truth what matters, they will explain anything and everything, and interpret any situation in any part of the world to advance the western foreign policy agenda. That is what US president called ‘Fake News.’

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the civility in the world affairs has been disappeared. Now it is run by the rules of the jungle, where might has become right. This is the global context, the political milieu, where we must position our Executive presidency and evaluate it.

When it comes to reshaping the world according to the ‘new world order,’ direct military option has been kept within reach on the table in western power centers, while an indirect military operation is been conducted, a war waged by a plain clothed army has been going on in the world for quite some time. This indirect military of a plain clothed army is called ‘fifth column’ in political vocabulary.

A fifth column is any group of people who undermine a larger group from within, usually in favour of an enemy group or nation. The activities of a fifth column can be overt or clandestine. Forces gathered in secret can mobilize openly to assist an external attack. This term is also extended to organised actions by military personnel. Clandestine fifth column activities can involve acts of sabotage, disinformation, or espionage executed within defense lines by secret sympathizers with an external force. (Wikipedia)

It is widely believed that this term ‘Fifth Column’ originated during Spanish civil war. During the Siege of Madrid, Nationalist general Emilio Mola told a journalist in 1936 that as his four columns of troops approached Madrid, a “fifth column” of supporters inside the city would support him and undermine the Republican government from within.

This plain clothed army of fifth column is active in most countries in the world. They facilitate western interventions, or prepare the necessary groundwork for western interferences in countries they are operating in. We have a lot of them in Sri Lanka. They are very well paid by western governments and institutions. In Sri Lanka they have become so powerful to the point, that they have infiltrated all key institutions, nerve centers of power. Not only that, some NGO bigwigs, major players have been appointed into parliament through national list. Their tentacles are all over in the current administration. However most alarming thing is that they have hijacked our parliament and the administration. They gained this control only after the beginning of current Yahapalana regime.

We should never underestimate the role of NGOs in third world internal politics. NGOs are major politico-military arm of western foreign policy since 1980s. In Sri Lanka, this army is comprised with mostly Anglophone Colombians. Their work, their agendas, their finances, or funding sources are not transparent. They are not accountable to the people of Sri Lanka. But it’s so funny, they demand transparency and accountability from the government while they do not live up to their own slogans.

In the USA and Russia, any organization that receive external funding must be registered as ‘foreign agents.’ In Sri Lanka we must do the same if we are to survive as a single political entity. Their finances must be audited annually and their activities must be regulated within strict code of guidelines.

There is a school of thinking which perpetuates that parliamentary system is better solution for Sri Lanka. But Westminster Parliamentary system never been a good system for developing world struggling to develop their countries after centuries of colonial rule. Current problems in our country has proved beyond any doubt that Westminster model is too weak to safeguard our country. This system is too vulnerable for external manipulations. It is good for powerful countries that are less vulnerable for outside manipulations, but not for small nations like Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksha would never be allowed to win the war if the war effort was depended on parliament of Westminster system. Let us just adapt the current culture of our parliament to the scenario of the peak of the war. If we had an Executive prime minister, whose survival was depended on the parliament, and was handling the war effort that was depended on parliament, would that be allowed? Then that government would have been easily toppled by buying off members of parliament through either defeating a budget or bringing a no-confidence motion against the prime minister. Folks, there is plenty of money falling from the sky. Don’t forget Victoria Nuland, former US assistant sec. for European Affairs on record has admitted that US spent 5 billion of dollars in Ukrainian affairs to bring a regime change in that country. Then John Kerry, former Sec. State has admitted that millions or billions has spent in Sri Lankan affairs to bring a regime change here as well. Where did this money go? Do you think that money spent to buy ‘Paan Piti’ පාන් පිටි to make ‘Paappa’ ‘පාප්ප’ for pasting posters of the opposition candidate? No, I don’t think so.

Now Sri Lankan polity has been divided by a clear line between treacherous politics of Colombians political class and the political aspirations of the people of the hinterland, the village of Sri Lanka. On one side, there is this Anglophone Colombians, who doesn’t care about integrity whatsoever. Some of them are in the parliament. And others working in NGOs depending on money supply from the west, uttering all their new-invented flashy words that they had invented to win the hearts and minds of their paymasters, not the people, with imported concepts serving their donors. On the opposite side, there are the Sri Lankan masses, true sons/daughters of the soil, with different solutions originated locally for their problems.

The recent events exposed so many hidden conspiracies and mechanisms that had been perpetrated to handle the affairs in the process of dividing the nation. For Ranil and the clans, these hidden conspiracies and mechanisms are the biggest service they had envisioned to contribute to our country. These hidden devices were arranged to advance from parliamentary select committee, election process and independent judiciary. So that entire conspiracy had begun from the day that the speaker recognized the TNA as the opposition even though they had only 16 seats in oppose to over 80+ seats in the joint opposition. The JVP was given chief opposition whip position so the large part of the parliamentary debating time will be occupied by the UNP, TNA and JVP all were singing the same song, working hand in hand in the same agenda of dividing the nation. Crafty design isn’t it?

This is the mode of democracy that Anura Kumara Disanayaka proclaiming from the rooftop to safeguard. So parliamentary select committee also was filled with same people who were scratching each other’s back. The select committee had recommended same birds for everywhere including selecting the judges they preferred for the supreme court. The president revealed that the senior judges’ names he proposed to the select committee for consideration being rejected and appointed the judges they wanted to be there in the supreme court. All these preparations were intended for one major event. That is to get parliamentary approval for the proposed treacherous new constitution dividing country. If that was challenged in the Supreme court, that also would have been resolved in their favor. They knew it. If this is not a conspiracy, what is it?

This reveals that UNP, JVP and the TNA worked together in the same agenda in the parliament. In practice, there was no opposition in the parliament from day one.

So, a lot of system devices had been created for the same agenda of dividing the nation in concert effort by UNP, JVP and the TNL. The machinery and its wheels, cogs, lubricating organs such as NGOs, all were in place for the big event. All system devises that Ranil had created for the anticipated big event were all in place. That was to introduce a new constitution dividing the nation by law. But however, the true nature of this grand conspiracy, especially the true intentions of the legal organs he created to handle his separatist agenda has been exposed to the nation prematurely; before the big event! He wanted to keep it secret until he brings the new constitution to divide the country, but this ‘independent’ judiciary unanimously exposed Ranil’s plans before the anticipated big event. Thus, Sri Lanka was saved this time very narrowly.

The crude hand grenade that Ranil was busily making to kill mother Lanka has been exploded while it was still in his hands- still wrapping it. This exposé only could have happened in a miracle. I didn’t believe in superstitions. But this time, this narrow escape has daunted me to rethink about the widely held rural belief of Hathrawaram Deyiyo’ හතරවරං දෙයියො, who believed to be protecting Sri Lanka from all its perils. Such a grand design would never have been exposed if president Sirisena rightly or wrongly had not dissolved the parliament.

This entire episode proved so many things we never expected. In this situation, since we have an extremely corrupt parliamentary system, the only option people have is to select a capable, honest and patriotic candidate who understand the people, their culture and traditions as their executive president. So, I think we must protect executive presidency at any cost.

Under this dangerous global condition, we do really need to have fully powered Executive branch in our constitution to deal with such global conditions. If this executive branch had to depend on parliament, then again above said fifth column will be able to manipulate it. To avoid such danger, we must preserve fully powered Executive Presidency. It is not another innocent political wish. It is an essential demand of the historical moment we live in.

Fortunately, president had decided to reappoint Ranil for the premiership after supreme court decision and Mahinda also had decided to resign. That was a very good thing. If they had decided to stick to their positions ignoring court rule, then the UNP, JVP and the foreign funded NGOs might have brought their supporters into streets to launch a rainbow ‘color revolution.’ As one of my JVP friend revealed, this is the exact turmoil that JVP ‘Panu Nyaaya’ (පණු න්‍යාය) expecting to exploit.

If that happened it might have been ended in a massive bloodbath. It might have been ended like Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine killing thousands. Western countries might have spent billions of dollars like they had done in Ukraine.

NGOs and so-called civil society are in a collision course with true mass movements.  In fact, they are suppressing peoples’ voices. They are manufacturing fake social consciousness to cater their funding organizations political agendas. Ordinary people do not want to see our country being divided. But NGOs do everything to pave the way for division. People want to preserve the essential branches of our government and its constitution that can save the country from being divided into many separate states. But NGOs want to abrogate them, and to remove all legal barriers and obstacles in the constitution so the separatist can advance their separatist agenda without any hindrance. Here in fairness to JRJ, I must admit one thing about former president J. R. Jayawardene. Despite the fact that JRJ had committed so many unpopular, unpardonable sins in his time in office, he never gone to the low-level, to the depths that Ranil has gone to undermine national security and territorial integrity, to sell off our sovereignty.

Actually, today what Ranil is trying to do is to remove all the constitutional obstacles, legal ‘SafetyNet’ that JRJ had brought into the constitution after 13th amendment to prevent further division of the country. (how 13^th amendment ruined the country is another story) It seems that Ranil thinks that sovereignty is an obstacle for his political agenda.

Ranil hates sovereignty of Sri Lanka. He thinks sovereignty is too a big luxury for these third world ‘subhuman’ Sri Lankans. Perhaps he thinks that sovereign rights are too luxurious for Sri Lankans similar to that of a classy Gucci jacket for a slave. When he hears the word sovereignty, hastily he runs away in disgust with a snivel. Sovereignty to Ranli is like Kerosene oil to a Rat Snake- (Ptyas mucosa). (ගැරඬියට භූමිතෙල් වගේ.)

Similarly, he hates Sri Lankan culture. His disjuncture towards Sri Lankan culture is so obvious so his reactions are predictable to anyone. For instance, say, he’s being offered a Pie and a Bibikkan for dessert. It is so predictable that he definitely will pick the pie instead of Bibikkan. Pie is a delicacy in western culture, especially in American culture. Every dinner table, in every festivity, they have variety of pies. Similarly, in Sri Lankan culture, especially on the New Year breakfast table, Bibikkan gets prominence among other delicacies and sweets. No one can deny the fact that Bibikkan is very much a Sri Lankan cultural thing and it brings a sweet experience into the taste of Sri Lanka. But Ranil rejects it. He is out of it. So, one can argue that Ranil pugnaciously hated two things in his entire life…. ‘Sovereignty and Bibikkan.’

අනේ… දෙව්දත් නොදුටි මොක්පුර.”

During the heightened argument of the recent constitutional crisis, Ranil many times reiterated and proclaimed that people’s sovereignty is represented by the parliament only, but no any other branches. So, everything must be resolved within the parliament because people have entrusted their sovereignty in the parliament. ජනතාවගේ පරමාධිපත්‍යය තියෙන්නේ පාලිමේන්තුවේ. Implying that other two branches have nothing to do with sovereignty of the people. Only Ranil and his ‘dirty forty’ thieves have it. This is not true when it comes to a system of government where, an executive president is also entrusted with similar sovereignty by people. The reality is that all three branches of our government exercise people’s sovereignty, but again on a temporary contract. Two of them are appointed directly through elections and the members for the judiciary branch is selected by a select committee and appointed by the president. Under such condition, theoretically whenever people deem necessary, they can repeal the contract with these politicians. But practically they can’t.

But how people can repeal these contracts if sudden necessity arises? Say, majority of the parliament members become corrupt. They break the central bank and steel billions. If there is a legal barrier that prevents dissolution of the parliament prematurely before 4 and ½ years, and if vote of no confidence is also futile attempt to think due to majority of the parliamentarians are thieves benefiting the looting of the country, what are the options people have? You may be surprised, but the answer is ‘Nothing.’ People have no options. That is how it has been designed through 19^th amendment. The constitution has been changed with amendments for the parliament to do anything unabated and unchallenged, creating a dictatorship through legal gimmicks. Under current condition there needs to be a parallel branch, like EP that can counter balance the other branch going astray. It is not wise to put all our eggs into this single basket of the legislature in our messed-up country. That is my personal opinion as a layman. But hopefully our legal experts will decide what is good for our country considering our contemporary challenges.

All the charlatans who are singing the same lovely song of abolishing EP pretend as if they do a yeomen service to the people of Sri Lanka by struggling to abrogate Executive Presidency. But they know they are backstabbing the nation by doing so. They know that they are digging the very foundation of the main pillar of support of the unitary state. They know the end result of it, which is nothing but creating many different separate states in Sri Lanka. They know it very well, but since it is exactly their goal, they hide it from the masses.

By introducing 13^th amendment, we must understand that JRJ divided the country into nine parts, and then reunited them through executive branch. Given current situation of various threats, repealing even entire 1978 constitution together with its EP and provincial councils of 13^th amendment, won’t resolve our problems today if we do not resolutely and decisively deal with external meddling. Because today our parliament is not serving the nation but serving external powers. They are dancing to the tune of western ambassadors, NGOs, so-called civil society. Some of these people have become members of the parliament through the national list.

My argument is simple, abrogating executive presidency or even going back to 1972 constitution will make our vulnerabilities even worst because we are being encircled by various forms external forces. And they are interfering our internal affairs. It is easy to deal with terrorism, but it might be harder to deal with this plain clothed army of the ‘fifth column.’ Therefore, we must preserve the Executive branch of our government. Executive branch is the only fine thread that binding all these loose, wobbly parts of our country.

In conclusion I must say that executive presidency might be allergic to many. But it is a time-tested constitutional tool of our government safeguarding our national security. It has proved its effectiveness in the litmus test of the modern history of Sri Lanka. Above all, it had saved our motherland from one of the gravest perils it had ever encountered, the LTTE terrorism. Executive presidency might be the best constitutional instrument that can overcome the existential threat that Sri Lanka is facing now as a unitary state. It is our duty to make our decisions wisely since we are in our historic crossroads. The decisions we make today may determine whether Sri Lanka will remain as a nation in the future or vanish into thin-air in the history of mankind.

(Concluded)