An open letter to the Mahasangha and all responsible and patriotic segments of this country to save the country and the nation from the present political quagmire
Posted on February 18th, 2019

 Dr Sudath Gunasekara (SLAS) Former Permanent Secretary to Mrs Sirimavo Bandarnayaka and President Mahanuwara Sinhala Bauddha Jesta Purawesiyange Sanvidhanaya and President Sri Lanka Administrative Services Assocuation 1991-1994.

(The need for a ‘Civilization State? and a new system of Government under a new Constitution to put an end to anarchy and restore political stability in this country and to save the Motherland, the Sinhala Nation and the Sambuddha Sasana for posterity, as it had been done by our ancestors for millennia and to make it again the Wonder of Asia.)

(18.2.2019)

Introduction

The whole country knows that there is no Government in this country today. In fact this had been the hard fact ever since this present Government was installed in power in Jan 2015. The situation is getting aggravated every day. Therefore the crying need to seriously address this national problem as soon as possible before the country collapses completely beyond redemption. Today governance and administration in this country has completely collapsed. People have lost their faith even in the Judiciary. There is absolutely no law and order or justice in any part of the country including the Parliament that is supposed to make laws for good governance. At present it makes laws only for the benefit of the ruling politicians. When it come to law making in Parliament there is absolutely no disagreement by any party when laws are passed for the benefit of politicians. But on matters concerning the state, the policy is no policy at all. This is true of both in matters relating to domestic as well as external issues. Even if the laws are made they are selectively applied to politicians and ordinary citizens separately. The involvement of Minister Richard Badurdheen in the case of Wanatahvillu illicit settlements and the  violation of imports procedure regarding import of pepper, arica and Bedi leaves  and the way such how he is treated with impunity and also the way how the culprits are released by the authorities clearly show the nakedness of the current corrupt political culture in this country. This had been the most conspicuous feature, for over three decades, ever since 1987.

Further If you carefully go through the legislations enacted in the post 1987 period starting with the Act No1 of 1987 which gave pension rights for politicians with 5 years “SERVICE’ (violating all the provisions of the Pension Minute  for Public Servants),  ignoring all burning public issues in the country, and increasing their salaries and all other privileges like increased Ministries not only at the national level but also in the periphery by creating 45 posts of Provincial Ministers and  9 Chief minister and 9 Governors and numerous additional emoluments to politicians clearly proves the priority they gave to their own welfare, right from the beginning. If you go through all 19 amendments that followed with the latest 20th A in queue, you will see the truth of what I have stated above. What more evidence is required to prove my argument, I think is needless to mention. Under the Act 1987, politicians are qualified to full  pension in five years in Parliament.Subsequently even their wives were made entitled for the pension. Doesn’t this alone clearly show the priorities our politicians have in their heads? while the country is lagging behind all other countries in the world in development and unemployment is skyrocketing  while 90 % of the 20 million people are struggling to eke out an existence.

Since politicians elected by the people have completely neglected their duties by the country and the people and ceased to govern the country today thugs and the underworld have already taken over both the administration and governance of the country. Underworld criminals and narcotic goons operate all over and they run the country even from abroad. Politicians work in tore with  these  goons and make their money while the  country is being pushed to rock bottoms. International narcotic gang leader  who operates a world wide network with such political support is a case in point.

The leader of the gang who robbed the country’s Central Bank is the Prime Minster of the country. What more evidence is needed to tell the appalling political situation in the country. The Governor who played the main role in the execution of  this gang robbery is kept in hiding in Singapore with the blessings of his mentor, who continues as the Prime Minister of the country. It is said Arjuna M cannot be extradited as Singapore has not signed the extradition law. In my opinion in the first place the President should not have approved this appointment. What more evidence is needed to prove that total anarchy reigns all over the country even at this moment, at the highest level of Government even  as  I pen these few words , while the whole country is driven down the Gadarene slope towards political, economic and social disaster.

In fact having started in Jan 2015 today it has reached its climax. Law and order has almost ceased to exist on this once blessed and peaceful land. Spatially there are two laws, one for the North and one for the South. Individually also there seems to be two laws, one for the politicians and their cronies and another for the ordinary people.  There is utter chaos and confusion all over. In my view this is the cumulative effect of the political gambling done under the British made political parties that had been in operation since 1948, the year we are supposed to have got freed from their direct rule. The Soulbury Constitution that was a ‘made in Great Britain Constitution’ is a classic British colonial fraud and conspiracy to keep this country eternally divided, fighting each other and confused under their remote control forever. Apparently no politician or policy maker seems to have realized the fatality of the trap the Albions have fixed us up when they left the shores of this Island in 1948.  Apart from fighting for political  survival within that ‘made in Britain’ trap  our politicians as well as the policy makers have not made any sincere and honest attempt to take this country forward as an independent, free, prosperous  and vibrant nation for the past 71  years.

The open clash between the President and the Prime Minister and the Speaker on the one hand and the Legislature and the Executive on the other, noncompliance of orders and directions given by the President of the country by certain statutory bodies, the tyranny and dictatorship of minority politics, the unprecedented wave of crimes spreading all over the country and the utter chaotic and confusing  political, economic and social  unrest overflowing like  a Tsunami all round makes one to wonder whether total nemesis has already come to our door step. The present Government is run by a UNP minority with the direct support of the TNA and JVP protected by the UNP Speaker in Parliament. The President though is said to be the President has no control or say what so ever over the undemocratic and unconstitutional Government he is heading. This I think is called total anarchy.

What I have outlined in the following pages is an attempt to propose a modest three stepped approach to get out of this political, economic and social abyss in to which our self-seeking unpatriotic politicians have dumped us over the past 71 years and to take this country forward to prosperity as a free and peaceful nation, where all people will live happily as one family.

Objective.

The purpose of this essay is to present an appeal to the Maha Sanga who were the guardian deities of this land for the past 2500 years and all Sinhala patriotic citizens to wake up from their deep slumber, and to give up their blind political affiliations to green, blue or red camps, for good and join their hands together as one national liberation force without party politics at least now. There is no point in writing to papers or social media or appealing to politicians by people like us as we are nobodies for them. That is why I opine that the Maha Sangha and a top group of Patriotic citizens of very high standing now need to take the whip in to their hands and command the politicians to follow the correct path and to do the right thing to save this country, the Sinhala nation and the Sasana or get out of politics for good in the name of the country and the nation. There is no point in requesting them. Now you have to take the politicians by their horns and whip them on their buttocks, perhaps the way they did it in 1956, of cause in a harder and a direct way with a fool network of checks and balances. The times where politicians ordered and we followed has to be put to an end now. It is our time now to order the politicins to do what we the countrymen want them to do for the country. The age of remaining as passive observers while allowing politicians to do  as they like has to be  promptly put to an end.

The age of politicians led (rather misled), this country has to be stopped at least now and this is the time the Maha sangha and the patriotic segments of the country, armed with “the Anagarika Dharmapala perception’ of this nation have to take the whip in to their hand and command the politicians  as to how the country should be taken forward.  At the very outset I must say that this is a noble mission,  nobler than any other, to save a paradise like country, a proud nation and a millennia old pristine Sinhala Buddhist civilization, like no other in the world. Please remember that if we don’t unite and rise up now as a  nation in unison, discarding all blind and narrow political, religious, ideological and  party affiliations and rise up as  “We Sinhalese”   we are  doomed to lose this country forever and we are definitely heading for total annihilation, both as a county and a nation. Also note we are already brought to the brim of nemesis and total extinction by our visionless and self seeking politicians over the past 71 years. Stopping the politicians ruining this country, the way they did so far is the first hurdle we have to clear in nation building effort, however difficult it is going to be.

When Tamil and Muslim minority intruders are at war with us, the Sinhalese ‘de jure and de facto owners of this land’, and ask for separate States with self-determination rights in this historical Motherland of the ours, I am only putting forward  a realistic and flawless work plan to put all communities in their due places, with harm to none, while the majority Sinhalese will be guaranteed their  legitimate place in this country, which is already being robbed by minorities due to the fault of Sinhala politicians, particularly the UNP, so that all communities could live together amicably in peace and harmony  as one nation as they had been living before 1815, by first simply  accepting by all these minority communities, that this land is the Motherland of the Sinhala nation and that stand is inalienable and non-negotiable.

It is a tragedy that all Sinhala politicians without realizing their actual strength, divided as UNP, SLFP and JVP etc going after the minority minions  wooing for their vote have made  the Sinhala nation comprising  75% of the country’s population a minority, and the minority the majority, in this country. The Sinhalese urgently needs a trustworthy leader who has the guts and the character, statesmanship, vision and charisma who can unite all Sinhalese under one banner and also who can stand against this tyranny of the minority politics and restore the lost rights of the Sinhala nation. Going by the way how Tamils and Muslims vandalize millennia old Buddhist heritage sites not only in the North and East but also all over the country, putting the minorities in their place and restoring and protecting the lost heritage and the dignity of the Sinhala nation is the priority number one of any Government. As the Sinhala say goes ‘tella badinta bella tiyenta one” first of all we must save the motherland,  the only place we have on earth on this planet to live, before we think other,

No politician  in future should ask for power in this country, if they cannot do that. Enough, all politicians have deceived this nation for 71 long years. Isn’t it a great tragedy that there is not a   single Sinhala political leader who condemn these heinous anti Sinhala anti Buddhist crimes by Tamils and Muslims and ask their leaders to stop their ‘Boys” engaging in such barbaric and provoking crimes.

The approach suggested here is a radical departure from all post-independence conventional Sri Lanka politics where the politicians looked after only themselves while allowing the whole country to suffer and peril. It is  completely  a new vision hither to not thought of by any politician or any other, due to either ignorance or more due to fear of losing political power (which they consider to be more important than the country or the nation), who are caught up in the political trap cunningly  laid down by the vicious British colonial plunderers, when they left the shores of this Island in 1948, pretending to giving freedom to this country,  whereby they withdrew only from direct rule while indirectly continuing to control the destiny of the colonies and keeping them eternally dependent on the colonial West and  their white allies spread all over the world. This clearly shows that colonial depredation is not yet dead. It is still living, actively operating both covertly and overtly to keep us weaker both politically and economically as their protectorates and underdogs forever.

I am only appealing to all concerned, particularly the 30,000 odd Buddhaputras across the country led by the Mahanaayaka Theros of all Nikayas to organized as ONE fraternity together with a selected patriotic group of national leaders of standing to put an end to this chaotic and confusing situation to achieve the sacred objectives  stated in the heading of this article “The need for a new Constitution to put an end to anarchy and restore political stability in this country and to save this Motherland, the Sinhala Nation and the Sambuddha Sasana for posterity, as it had been done by our ancestors for millennia and to make it again the Wonder of Asia and finally to take this country at least to what it was in  1815, as a free and sovereign nation, where all different minority ethnic groups like Tamils and Muslims accept this land as the  Motherland of the Sinhala people, withought any reservations, and resolve to live as one nation and one country, where everybody is happy and contented. That will be the only way for ethnic reconciliation in this country.  Rev Sirs and Patriotic leaders this is the time for you to command those who aspire to rule this country in . Make it your clarion call to the nation and they will follow you.

This noble mission consists of three major steps

Step 1

Changing the present anarchic and treacherous rule and replacing it with an interim patriotic Government

Changing the present anarchic and treacherous rule and replacing it with an interim Patriotic Government under the present Constitution and restoring political stability and normalcy  in Governance is the priority No.1 before us. In the above backdrop the most critical issue and the top priority before the nation at hand is the need to install a patriotic Government  and a government of the people, in the first place as the people and the country badly need a   people centred Government at least to  run their day to day affairs freely, apart from taking the country forward.  A patriotic set of politicians from among those are already in Parliament, who love this country and its people than self-interest should form this Government. It should be formed within the provisions of the present Constitution. The shortest way to do it is by defeating the existing Government in Parliament. If this could be done at the forthcoming budget it would be fine. But since the UNP has the support of the TNA and JVP this  looks impossible unless a chunk from the disgruntled UNP back benchers is won over. T the same time the UNP is also heavily backed by the Western countries with all their resources and their interests which are heavily guarded by the UNP Speaker in Parliament. As such the only way to form a new Government is to go Parliamentary election. There are two ways of doing it. The first and the best option is getting a resolution passed for new election in Parliament by a 2/3 majority to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling. But again since that is also beyond imaginations the only alternative available is to launch a nationwide mass agitation movement to force the Government to resign. Once that is done and elections are held, going by the behaviour of the electorate, I opine forming a new Government under the present Constitution by the true opposition will be a reality. In this regard I don’t think people have any other option than suggesting that the opposition camp led by Mahinda Rajapaksa take it over.

Step 2

The beginning of people friendly governing

Having got a new Government in place, it has to first, restore normalcy and law and order in the country. In doing so steps should be taken to limit the Parliament to 196 MPs in terms of the 1987 Constitution by abolishing the national list (which has enabled to bring in 29 anti-national  rogues non-representativeness of the people just to accommodate henchmen and yesmen to garner votes in Parliament) to make representation in Parliament more democratic and meaningful. The Cabinet under this Government should also be limited to 30 as per 19th Amendment. Scrapping of superfluous Ministries, Departments and other government institutions like Corporations and Boards etc to reduce duplication and overlapping, cost and increase efficiency in delivery of services to people. Once this is done people will realize that a radical change in governance has dawned and good governance has begun to appear for the first time in this country.  They will begin to witness a people friendly government for the first time in modern history of this country and the hitherto prevailed government by the politicians, for the  politicians and of the politicians supported by an army of parasitic servants of the Government in power who were dubbed as public servants has ceased to exist.

Even with such changes the new Government want be able to take the country fully out of the present political Augean mess created by the deep rooted past corrupt political culture, a child of the colonial legacy, that was utterly inappropriate and therefore disastrous to our society. Therefore firstly, to get out of this mess and secondly,  to bring about sustainable political stability that we need so badly to take this country to economic and social progress we need to go for a new Constitution based on our own history, traditions and values that were indigenous and appropriate to our own environment. For this we need a new Home made Constitution formulated by our own experts (not by foreign experts or even local agents of the West), setting aside all previous Constitutions that have a British paternity that was alien and inappropriate to our society.

Phase 3

The need to go for a new Constitution

The interim Government formed under phase 2 then should dissolve the Parliament and go before the people for a direct mandate for a new Constitution under a new election manifesto. The new election manifesto, unlike the ones prepared by the politicians in the past, has to be prepared by a group of local experts and get the politicians to comply with it. (A proposed draft of a people’s election manifesto is attached at the end of this essay as a guide line). The formulators of the manifesto will canvas for the group who agrees to implement the manifesto in writing and swearing before the Sri Dalada Maligawa to implement the provisions of the new manifesto. It is expected that the new constitution will be ready within six months.

A new Government Under the New Constitution

The newly elected government will then begin nation building under the new Constitution, as a  free, independent and sovereign State of the  new  Republic of Sinhale/Sri Lanka   with a smaller Parliament (168 MPP) and a lean Cabinet (19= 18 Ministers and the President) and with less Government institutions and less public Servants as given in the new Constitution. The Head of the new Republic should be elected by the people of the whole country. It will mark a turning point in good governance and open a new chapter in the political history in this country.  The new Government will go to roots and rediscover, protect and foster the native heritage and build up the nation within 10 years to be called the “Miracle of Asia”. This new Government will be a fully pledged Government by the people, for the people and of the people replacing the present system of Government by the politicians, for the politicians and of the politicians. I hope finally it will be a model for all Asian and African countries that have been subjected to colonial depredation during the past few centuries.

The New Sinhale/Sri Lanka Constitution should be based on the following premises.

1 Historically this country had remained the Traditional Home land of the Sinhala Nation, at least from 543 BC up to date.

2 Since 307 BC it had been the only Sinhala Buddhist nation in the world.

3 Sinhalese Buddhists were the people who found, developed and fostered the unique Sinhakla Buddhist civilization on this Island. It was also they who protected it from all foreign devastations firstly, the Indians, more particularly, South Indians, starting in the 2nd century BC up to the 12th century AD (culminated in the barbaric Magha devastation), who razed Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa civilizations (that ranked among the best in ancient and medieval world) to the ground.

Secondly, It was virtually destroyed for 443 years from 1505 to 1948 by the Portuguese, Dutch and British invasions. In all these wars it was the Sinhala Buddhists who had to face the brunt of the invader and die in battle in millions in defence of their Motherland. Among the long list of brutal and savages atrocities carried out by these invaders , shooting all those who could not be arrested, hanging them then and there, burning down all fields, houses and barns and slaughtering all animals of the natives to feed the soldiers of the invader could be cited as few example of the cruel crimes carried out by these invaders.

4 The name of the country ceded to British in 1815 was Sinhala as given in the Kandyan Convention of March 2. 1815. Except Taprobane and Serendib all other names over 23 like Zeylan and Ceylon simply meant the Land of the Sinhala people. Even the Tamil word EELAM means the land of the Sinhalese. This clearly shows that, right throughout history it was the Sinhala imprint that has flourished on this land.

5 It was the Sinhalese Buddhists, the architects of the civilization in this country who fought against the invaders and died in millions in battle to defend their motherland in the savages and brutal 1818 and 1848 suppressions of Uva and Matale . It was they who lost all their lands in battles fighting against the enemies to defend the motherland for posterity.

6 None of the Tamils or Muslim at any time supported the native Sinhalese in these wars. Instead they took the side of the enemy and particularly the Muslims both in the Uva and Matale freedom struggles who supported the British by transporting their provisions, guns and ammunitions from the harbours to the interior and by spying against the Native Sinhalese. When Muslims were brutally murdered by Portuguese in 1665 and when those who survived ran to the King in Kandy it was the Sinhala King who saved them and settled in the Panampatuwa (these are the ungrateful people now asking for a separate State in the South East)

7 In the period of early political agitations even Tamil scholars like  extensively on the Sinhala Buddhist civilization in this country and accepted that this had been the Land of the Sinhalese from the dawn of history and they were the architects of the unique civilization in this Island nation. See what P. Arunachalam in his Sketches of Ceylon History (1906) and Ananda Coomaraswamy in his classic Medieval Sinhalese Ar (1905) wrote and concluded about the Civilization o the country. I invite extreme communalists like Sambandan, Vignesvarana and Sumanthiram and even Jayampathhi Wickramaratna and Lal wijenayaka (self-appointed Constitutional experts) to read these books and find out as to where they should stand in this country. It is a tragedy and a pity too that the present day Tamil politicians don’t undersatand what these great Sri Lankans had said. Instead today they all follow a Malaysian Catholic Tamil Chelvanayagam, who had migrated to this country (around 1903) as a 4 year old boy who later became the Father of Ilankai Tamil Arsukachchi  (1947) and Grandfather of modern Tamil extremism in this country.

8 Even as late as 1965 K. Indrapala professor of History in his PhD Thesis Dravidayan settlement in Ceylon concluded that there were no Tamil settlements in the interior of this country and they were confined to a narrow coastal strip in the north and East. I am talking here on  Indrapala, who wrote  his PhD and not what he had said recently at LTTE gun point in his “The Tamils of Sri Lanka”: (300 B.C.-1200 A.D.)-

9 All minority races including Tamils and Muslims are thus only descendants of immigrants who had come to this country from time to time either as traders, invaders or illicit immigrants. There are very few who descend from those left behind by early invade. The last category are the Estate Tamils who were brought as indentured labour by British to work on their Tea and Coffee plantations after 1840, who continued as British citizens and who were left behind by the British when they left in 1948. As such none of these categories   has any legitimacy to call this their motherland unless and until they become full citizens of this country after learning the Language and history of the land and integrate with the natives. The irony is none of these people accept this country as the land of the Sinhalese. Instead they all want separate independent and self-ruling parts carved out from this Land. Some people like the LTTE and their proxies have dictated even war against the natives claiming the land of the Sinhalese for 30 years.

All these crazy people must learn the wisdom of Rev Cardinal Malcolm Ranith’s ( one of the greatest sons of Sri Lanka in modern times} latest statement where he said “Buddhism in this country is the big tree and other religions are only small branches of the big tree.’ In my opinion this is by far the best description of the Sri Lankan society made by any religious dignitary or a historian ever. The same thing could be said with regard to ethnicity as well. Accordingly I will put it as “Sinhala race in this country is the big tree and other communities are only small branches of that big tree”. Why can’t the Tamil and Muslim politicians, the treacherous NGOs, Colombian Sinhala politicians and the so-called International Community also understand this all-time reality and learn to live together without quarrelling with the Sinhala people who are the true Bhoomiputras of this land. Both Tamils and Muslim could be compared to  ‘parasitic plants on a Sinhala banyan tree’     struggling to kill it and trying to be the banyan tree.

If all these five categories could understand the wisdom of Rev Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the day they do so, on that day, ends the ethnic and religious clashes in this country.

I strongly suggest the new Constitution should be based on this historical foundation.                                                                                                            Under the new Constitution I propose two systems of alternative Governments. This will involve two phases

Phase 1  A Government with two national political parties as  trial 1.

Phase 2 A Government without Political parties (to be followed by trial 1)

1) First trial: a system of Government with two National political parties. This is a novel model aimed at ending all ethnic strife and rivalries by bringing all communities under the ‘one nation concept”. There want be either Tamil or Muslim or even Sinhala political parties under this system

The two political parties I propose to achieve this goal are,

1) Sinhalaye Bhoomiputra Pakshaya/ Sri Lanka Bhumiputra paksaya or Movement

11) Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Paksaya/Sri Lanka Mahasammatha paksaya or Movement

What is envisaged under this part will be two national political parties. One is named after the nativity of the country and the other nature of the political philosophy underlining the government.  None of them will be named after ethnicity, language or religion as it is done today. They are based on hard facts of true history of this country that no one on earth can refute. Therefore both will be modelled on the concept of Civilization State as proposed by Martin Jaques in his ‘When China Rules the World” The civilization referred to here is the 2500 year old Sinhala Buddhist civilization that had been the bedrock of the Sinhale State. Both Parties are open to people of all ethnic groups in this country. Within this dominant civilization matrix all citizens of this State have to get identified as ONE NATION. Under this system all ethnic and religious political parties will be banned. As such all minorities will have to be a part of these two parties, either 1 or 11 and there is no other option. This is done to eliminate the division of the Sri Lankan nation on ethnic grounds as it exists at present and build up one nation. It should be noted here that I have named these two political parties after taking in to consideration the past political history of this country starting from 543 BC and ending in 1815. as stated below

Elections under this system will be held for the 168 electorates and the new Government will have 18 Executive Committees as given below.

2) Second trial: A system of Government with no political parties after 5 years in office, I propose this second alternative to be tried out, if the Two party system also fails to deliver the goods as expected.

Part 11 

A system of Government without Political  Parties.

I am fully aware this is going to be too long for you to read. But I am posting the full article as the whole thing has to be read together to get an idea about  what I am trying to say. I apologize for the trouble

Before I get down to the subject of a system of Government without political parties let me give a brief introduction to the background  that prompted me to make this proposal.

Beginning of the political tragedy in this country.

After establishing their hegemony through conspiracy and intrigue in 1815, the British for 133 years, directly destroyed and then plundered the resources of this Island nation. This was more conspicuous in the central hill country, where 600,000 acres of virgin forest, that stood there from the dawn of history, were wantonly removed for Coffee first and then for Tea plantations without any regard to the hydrological, environmental and climatic they exerted on civilization of this Island. It was purely done for the enrichment of their Empire. Simultaneously they also destroyed and destabilized the native political, socio-economic and cultural systems in the whole Island with the introduction of the Royal Proclamation of 21st Nov 1818. This was a unilateral and illegal abrogation of the Kandyan Convention of March 2nd 1815. Thereafter the entire local machinery of governance, administartive and legal systems were replaced with the despotic British model. Also the native social fabric that was there for over 2500 years was  also completely destroyed and replaced with their own system through a vicious mechanism of divide and rule policy, leaving no room for a revival of the indigenous system. They discarded everything local as primitive, backward and barbaric.

Finally although they went back in 1948 they left behind their own political, administrative and legal mechanisms, which they called modern and democratic  through a British made Constitutions  replacing the native systems. This enabled them to tighten the colonial grip in order to perpetuate their hegemony and exploitation  by retaining the vital reins in their own hands. Westminster political system and political Party system that was completely alien to the natives was the main instrument through which they manipulated and controlled all ex-colonies with the assistance of a new generation of rulers they have nursed and bred over the years. This new generation who were moulded in the European crucible were subservient and servile to the colonial masters. They  acted as their accredited local agents and continue to do so even today as Her Majesty’s obedient servants of an imperial colony even though today they are elected by the people of this country. As such none of the countries that were under them in fact is fully  free, sovereign or Independent although they are said to be so.

Sri Lanka provides a glaring example as a victim of this colonial intrigue than any. After 71 years of so-called Independence,  they are supposed to have given in 1948, even today it is virtually run by Britain and their white allies like USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Germany, France and Italy.   The irony is that before 1948 it was only Britain  who ruled this country but today it is run by a consortium of neo-colonial powers both directly and indirectly through their own cartels of so-called International Agencies like the UNO, World Bank, UNICEF, ADB and USAID.  In addition they also get India to interfere with the neighbouring states in South East Asia to destabilize them to maintain their global power balance.

There is unanimous agreement that the political party system, alien to this country, among many other colonial leverages as given above, introduced by the British in 1948 has become the main  bane of this vicious circle. It has ruined this country, almost beyond recovery, leading to  political, economic, social, and cultural disintegration. Things like ethnic clashes that are new to this country are also a product of this Western impact. The crust of the problem as I see is nothing but the civilization clash between the West and the East. The neo-colonial West is struggling to extend its hegemony through  political, economic and military devices and institutions to perpetuate their control over these former colonies to protect their past economic, political and military supremacy.

This sad legacy is common to all the countries they conquered. Therefore no country that was subjected to their depredation can ever be free, either politically, economically, culturally or otherwise, until and unless these alien elements are completely eradicated and replaced with indigenous institutions of their own past civilizations. Some of these ex-colonies own a wealth of experience and knowledge the natives have gained over the centuries through trial and error and have come to stay as the most appropriate  knowledge base for their environments. In this context Sri Lanka with its 2 500 year old civilization is unique.

It should also be noted here that we, were a great nation in the world for 2500 years, before the westerners came here to ‘civilize’ us as they say. It is true that we never had either a written constitution or political parties in this country from the inception of history as we were ruled under a different system.  But we had  royal decrees written on stone  pillars and rock slabs that laid down rules and regulations of state craft and social ethics. Besides we also had a very rich code of customs, traditions and conventions of good governance enriched by Buddhist teachings that have shaped this country’s destiny as a wonder in the East even in medieval times,  long before UK, USA or any of their so called modern countries  were yet to see any form of civilization. They were written on ola, and Tamba sannas. The fact that Italian explorers like Marcopolo and Morignolli who visited this country in the 14th century have described it as a paradise and Moringnolli  went to the extent of saying ‘Paradise is seen on the earth itself. It is situated in the mountains o’ Ceylan’ proves what it had been like in the past.

Beginning of Colonial rule and repression

System of Colonial rule accompanied by repression started almost immediately after their occupation  in  1815 and gradually tightened through what they called political reforms step by step, starting with Brown Wrigg’s Royal Proclamation of November 1st 1818 which abrogated the Kandyan Convention of 2nd March exparte.  They left in 1948 after laying a permanent trap in the Soulbury Constitution after introducing the first political party, the ‘United National Party’ (UNP) by which the British introduced the concept of many nations to this country under sec 29 of the Soulbury Constitution for the first time in its 2500 year history. Ever since we remain tightly trapped and caught in this vicious cycle of party politics that has almost ruined this country beyond redemption.

Debate on the political party system

Many a people have debated about the need for a change in this disastrous system. This subject is even debated in international circles now. But no one has so far found any practical,feasible and concrete solution for this vexed problem. What I put down here is the result of my search for a workable solution to that all important problem. I do not claim this to be a perfect answer. But I have an inner feeling that, if we implement this proposal, it will mark a turning point in this country’s political history, in our joint search for a satisfactory answer for this apparent no return situation. It is a new idea that came to my mind, capable of generating a live debate on this subject, that would finally bring about political solace to our motherland.

Two people have inspired me in this noble mission. The first is my good friend and colleague late U.B. Wijekoon,  a senior Civil Servant and an uncommon politician who presented me a copy of a book called ‘Paksha Desapalanaya Ratata Sapaya’. written by him in (2010), highlighting the need to change this curse; making a request appealing to me to think about a solution for this cancerous social disaster. Ironically he had not offered a solution in his book.  Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara, having inspired by  the ‘Civilization State, written by Martin Jacques,  who wrote a book recently (2016) titled Sabbyatva Rajya” calling for a new system of government based on our own civilization is the other person who accelerated my search on this subject. I thank both of them sincerely for their inspiration.  Though this venture is  not an easy job I decided to take up this challenge for the benefit of the many and for the good of the many and for the resurrection of my beloved Motherland from the current political abyss.

However, at the very outset, I must modestly admit that this is not the result of an in depth research, on this subject. It is only a note prepared based on my thirty five years of experience and understanding of our political system, past and present, to be presented at a discussion organized by my colleague and friend late Dr Nath Amarakoon at Navinna, Kotte on 15th  October 2015..

I wish and hope this note will inspire you all patriots to search for the answer we all need very badly to rescue our motherland and the nation from the imminent threats snarling at us, both from external and internal enemies of Sinhala Buddhists and the Motherland. Even if this model is not accepted for immediate political reforms in this country, if it could lay the foundation for a more comprehensive mechanism in future, I could rest in peace that I have done my duty by my motherland even in a small way.

The Philosophy and Mission of the proposed sytem of Governance.

1 Balachackram hi nisrāya Dharmachakram Pravartatē” (The Wheel of Power Revolves on the Wheel of Dhamma)

2 Bahujana Hitāya Bahujana Sukhāya”  Lord Buddha. (For the Good of the many; For the Happiness of the many)

Objective

To replace

The system of corrupt and unpatriotic Government we have in this country today, what I call a Government by the Politicians, for the Politicians and of the Politicians” that has got reduced to ‘virtual tyranny of the politicians”

With,

A Home grown system of patriotic and just Government, what I call ‘A Government by the People, for the People and of the People,”

Based on Pansil , the Dasaraja Dhamma, Satara Sangraha Vattu and the Mahasammatha concept of state craft that had been the cornerstones of  our statecraft that made this country a Proud Land of plenty, prosperity, peace and just governance on the one hand and creativity, injenuity and perfection in the feilds of hydraulogy, arts an crafts and  literary pursuits on the other hand for millennia  in the past and To set up a new form of Government similar to what Martin Jacques calls the ‘Civilization State,” based on our own indigenous political philosophy, institutions and systems, traditions, customs and social values enshrined in Budddhist teachings, that formed the  foundation of that heritage, to liberate this country from the Machiavellian model of Governance and the shackles and clutches of Western colonial hegemony and exploitation. It is also an attempt to fully free our people from their mental servility to Western forms of Government, alien and utterly inappropriate to the East; to inspire people of this country to understand the value and relevance of their age old and time tested native systems as the golden key to the portals of our future prosperity and pride.

My final aim here is to call upon you all to ‘wake up’ from hibernation and to come forward to save the Motherland and lift it up once again to lofty heights as a strong, vibrant and a prosperous nation from the depths in to which it had been put to by the colonial plunderers and their accredited local agents who took over governance from them in 1948 and their present day colombian decedents. Making Sri Lanka the ‘ Wonder of Asia”should be our final goal in  this mission.

Political parties the curse of the Nation

Of all legacies left behind by the British, political party system, has been identified as the most disastrous and baneful factor that has divided and ruined this country and the Sinhala/Sri Lankan nation, more particularly the Sinhalese, ever since 1948. It has not only set the Tamils and Muslims against the Sinhalese but it has also divided the native Sinhalese in to different opposing  political parties and camps like Kandyans and Low country Sinhalese and again on religion and caste. It is now widely accepted by everybody as the most fatal cancer that has spread all over the body politic in this country,  killing the political stability and the unity of this Island nation, as it has continued to promote the divide and rule policy of the British even after Independence. Therefore the crying need for an immediate solution to put back this great nation once again on its own feet.

The following model is proposed to make this country once again a free and an Independent and sovereign country

A system of Government without Political Parties

A Key to a new political Model and a new political culture in Sri Lanka (Sinhale/ Sri Lanka Model)

The Westminster political system introduced by the British to this country in 1948 gave rise to a multiparty system of governemnt. Over the past 71 years it has firstly divided Sinhala nation in  to many rival political camps as UNP, SLFP, JVP. CP and LSSP. The LSSP CP and JVP are based on the Marxist communist ideology. The difference between the UNP and SLFP is only personalities except that the UNP is pro-Western and contitnues to play the role of His Majesty’s obedient servants at the expence of all what is national. The Tamil and Muslim  politicians on the other hand promote only their communal needs. The disunity and divisions among the Sinhala parties has made minorities the king makers.This situation has made the majority community that constitutues 75 % of the total population in the country, the minority, utterly powerles, impotent and ineffective as a political force as none of these parties can form a stable government of their own. The principle of majority rule enshrined as the hall mark of Western Democracy has thus lost its fundamental meaning in our context. So much so the native Sinhala community, the Bhoomiputras, the architects of the civilization of this Island nation who ruled this country for 2500 years has completely lost its hold  and today it  is like an scrambled egg that can never be unscrambled.  Consequently today in Sri Lankan politics, instead of the dog wagging the tail, the tail has assumed the role of wagging the dog.

While the Sinhalese majority was divided and destroyed in this manner it has helped the Tamil and Muslim on the other hand to polarized  around their ethnicity as never before in history. In addition to this internal trend there is also a powerful external factor operating both covertly and overtly. Externally Tamils are supported both by India and the so-called Tamil Diaspora spread all over the world. In the case of Muslims they get financial and logistics support from Muslim countries all over the world. In elections they vote for candidates of their race only, either Tamil or Muslim candidates. In addition the white colonial West led by UK are aslo supporting the minority cause under different issues like human rihgts and right of self dettermination etc to destabilize the Sinhala Buddhist nation.Under this situation  a Sinhalese Buddhist cannot even talk of his nationality or religion. If he does he is labeled as a Sinhalese Buddhist chauvinist not only by Tamils, Muslims and allied foreign parties called International Commujnity but also by local agents of these enemy forces brainwashed and paid by the Western world. As a result minority racial and religious psychology has grown in to such giant proportions, today the majority Sinhalese has almost become the minority in this country for all intent purposes. Meanwhile the UN Agencies, the US, UK and the EU Community and even India tell us what to do. The latest news item which says “the EU reiterates the  need for Sri Lanka to repeal and replace PTA” could be cited as aglaring example of their naked  intervention in our domestic afffairs and their blattant violation of all international Conventions like those of Vienna, Genenva and UNO. Doesnt this clearly show that all these countries still thinks that we are a dependency of theirs? When are we going to get aNAtional leader who wil tell all these countries to go an fly a kyte as we have ceased to be so long ago and today we are an Independent, free and Sovereign State.

The dismal failure of those who took over the country in 1948 and their lame followers who are said to rule up to date.

The basic reason responsible for this sad situation was the lack of a national policy  and the  dismal failure on the part of native leaders at the time of taking over the country in 1948 as well as those who followed them up to date to govern the newly Indeppendent country. It includes things such as the need to assert as true national leaders as they did in India, to at least restore basic conditions like a) the name of the country, b) name of the nation, c) the place for Buddhism in the Sri Lanka State, d) the place of Sinhala as the Official Language e) rejecting sec 29 that introduced the concept to this country as there was only one nation in this country up to 1815 the date of annexing f) the law of the land and finally) the recognition as an Indepepndent  free and a sovereign Republic.

Our native leaders who took over the country should have first started constitution making from the  days of the State Council without limiting to agitations for constitutional reforms only, as they did right through out without any vission for future nation building, as a free and independent nation. Instead they just accepted blindly a ‘made in England Constitution’ by Jennings who wrote it to perpetuate British hegemony of exploitation and their divide and rule policy by keeping all the vital reins in their hands.

Secondly, the failure on the part leaders of both the pre- and post-Indepepndence periods to assert as National leaders. In this regard I see 3 persons who did so. THat is SWRD in 1957 in taking over Katunayaka and Trincommallle Bases; Mrs B in early 1960 nationalization of Caltex and Mobil Oil companies and later nationalization of Sterling Tea Companies and finally Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2009 in rejecting the requests made by UK and France to stop the war against the LTTE.  Thirdly their failure to keep the minorities in their due places.. Fourth lack of a visionary and ambitious plan for nation building and fifth, their inability to resist all foreign interventions and interference in our domestic matters. Such foreign powers includes our immediate neihgbour India and UK and all its white allies and last but not least is the lack of a clear and definite nation building plan with a highly motivated new nation at command first to restor an exploited and destroyed country by colonial invaders and second to take it to the level of a prosperous and a vibrant nation, second ending up as the ‘Miracle of Asia’ second to none.

Returning to the devastation done by political parties, this situation created by political parties where none of the main national parties cannot form a government without the support of  minority groups has to be changed as soon as possible if this country is to be resurrected out of the present political mess. Their actual numbers for Sinhalese today has thus become useless and meaningless in Sri Lankan politics. This is why all post-Independent governments had to be coalison governments. What is worse is even if  a minority member gets elected from the UNP or SLFP he or she serves only their comminity. The minority power has increased so much today they have become almost king makers. So much so  the tyranny of minority has come to stay permanently as the most dangerous and cancerous factor in Sri Lankan politics. So long as the  British legacy of party system is there there is no salvasion for the Sinhala people in this country. The only conceivable solution I can think of is either a no-party system of governement or a system of government with two national parties as a runner up choice with clearly spelled out national policies, that protect the birth rights of the majority and where all ethnic, racial or religious political parties are banned by law.

This British model of party politics also has completely destroyed all traditional native political institutions that had evolved over millennia in this country and created a political system that h as killed the political and social uity and cohesion that existed in the body politics for centuries in this country.

Bringing back the lost national unity and political stability under a Home made political system.

Therefore with a view to bringing back the lost national unity and political stability in the Sri Lankan nation I propose below a system of Government without conventional political parties not found anywhere else in the world, for public discussion as a home made solution for this cancerous problem. I am fully aware that this type of proposal in present day world politics entirely fashioned by the western model except in very few countries like Russia and China may looks a fairy tail or even a day dream to most people. But I am more than convinced this is possible as there could always be exceptions in any given situation. As the say goes the East is  East and the West is West and the two shall never meet  As such why should we hang on to  political system introduced by the colonial West to perpetuate exploitation of our countries that is alien and utterly inappropriate and disastrous our political  and social system, if there is an alternative which suits us more that could produce  better results.

I am making this proposal on the presumption that we were not without a system of Government when the British introduced the present system. We had a system of Government based on millennia old traditions of state craft, customs, religious and social values that made this country  a  wonder in the ancient and medieval world. It was the British who destroyed it over a period of two centuries from 1815 and replaced it with their own system as a  levarge to  keep us divided and disunited  so that they can continue their vicious exploitation directly and indirectly via dependency on trade, military and so-caled international covenants  . The British system of government evolved on an Island in the Western end of the world in an entirely a different social environment based on Greek and Roman traditions and culture does not suit us in lock stock and barrel. Therefore the need to replace it with our own form of government based on our indeigenous  civilization as its rock foundation. This however does not bar from incorporating any good elements of the West, provided they could be assimilated without any destructive effects to our social system and culture.

The fundamental purpose of this attempt therefore is to find a way out of the present political mess and the quogmire created by the divisive and parasitic political party system imported and imposed on us by the British predators.  First, it is aimed at putting an end to the destructive self -centered Machiavellian political power struggle based on factors like ethnicity, language, religion, alien political ideologies and external political interventions currently in vogue in this country that is exremely detrimental to the survival of this nation, and second, to build up a unified, prosperous, peaceful and vibrant nation where everyone is happy and where the ‘Gross national Happiness Index (GNHI) of its people, including political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual attainments , as embodied in Buddhist teachings, is the highest in Asia, instead of the Western concept of GNDP, with the final goal of making this country once again the Miracle of Asia’.

Salient elements to be incorporated in the Proposed new Constitution under Phase 3 of Part 1.

First option

A Two party system of Government in place of the current multyparty system

Now let me elaborate on my proposed Two Party system of Government

 1) Sinhalaye Bhoomiputra Pakshaya/ Sri Lanka Bhumiputra

            11) Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Paksaya/Sri Lanka Mahasammatha  Paksaya

(Please note that this proposal is made on the assumption that this is the Land of the Sinhala nation  : (Tamil motherland in South India and Muslim in Arabia)

Both these Proposed Parties will have one national policy that is no-negotiable and inalienable, unlike the existing political parties plagued with divergent political ideaologies leading to division, disunity, chaose and confusion. The main objective of this Proposal is to bring back poltical stability and good governance once again to this country and lay the foundation  for a better future.

The national policy includes the following salient points

1 Name of the country shall be Sinhale/ Sri Lanka as it had been known at least from 543 BC up to 1972 (2515 years).

(All historical and literary sources have referred to it as Sinhale, Sinhala Dveepa or Seehala Deepa or Lanka. The country that was ceded to Britain in 1815 by the Kandyan Convention of 2nd March 1815 was Sinhale translated to English as Ceylon meaning the land of the Sinhala people. Therefore that original name of the country has to be restored. Note both Sinhale and Lanka had been used synonymously from very ancient times to this country. The prefix Sri was added in  1972 Constitution when they named the country as The Republic of Sri Lanka and today it is known Internationally as Sri Lanka and it has got permanently established by now. As such  it could be called  either  Sinhale or Sri Lanka, if necessry after public concensus. Thereafter this country shall be known in all languages either as Sinhale or Sri Lanka. To call it by any other name like EELAM,  Ilankai or Kalisthan thereafter will have to be declared as treason).

 2 Name of the Nation of this country shall be Sinhala as it had been in  vauge at least from 543 BC. But again the nation could be called either Sinhala or Sri Lankan for reasons given in item 1 above. Tamils or Muslims thereafter shall not be referred to or called as nations in this country any more. They shall be called communities only (Sulujana kotas not minorities which is erroneously translated as Sulu Jati).

3 Its citizens shall be known as  Sinhala or Sri Lankan.

4 Buddhism shall be declared the State Religion while freedom of practicing other religions, with no right to manifest or propagate will be guaranteed as it had been done from the beginning of history of this country up to 1815. Buddhism has to be accepted by people of all other religions as he Stae religion of this country as it had been accepted by Kings nad subjects alike and ‘as the main tree where all other religions are only small branches’ as Rev Malcolm Ranjith Fernando has aptly said.

5 There shall be one Law for the whole country for all Citizens as it had been up to 1815. Details have to be worked out by religious, leagal and social leaders, based on the traditional native laws. Simutaneously ethnic laws such as Thesawalamei and Muslim laws introduced rto this country by the Dutch and British to divide the Lankan nation shall be abolished and banned.

6 Sinhala should be made- The official language of the State as it had been from 543 BC while Tamils will be provided the right of reasonable use of their Language by a competent committe appointed for that purpose. No one who does not know the language of the natives, that is Sinhala, shall be given full Citizenship of this country

7 One country, One Nation, One National Flag and one National Anthem concept must be enshrined in the Constitution. (This will enhance and consolidate the unity and patriotism as one nation)

8 This country shall be declared the traditional Homeland of the Sinhala race and all other communities have to accede to that non-debatable and non -negotiable fact of history.

9 Sinhala people also must have the right to live in any part of the country of their choice and have the right to have their religious establishments like temples and shrines just as the Tamils and currently enjoy. If any one objects or refuses this condition then they should leave for their motherlands in India or Arabia.

10 There shall be no political party beside these two national parties. Now that both the UNP and SLFP are  dead and have ceased to function as national parties all political parties have to be banned  including these two leaving room only for the above two to operate as national parties.

11Sinhala Buddhist culture has to be legally recognized as the national/dominant culture of the Sri Lanka nation , while the freedom of practicing thier own cultures for all minor communities will be guranteed.

12 Under this proposal all Political Parties named after ethnic, religious, regional or divisive basis like Federal, TNA, TELO. SLMS, TC and EPRLF or any other etc, will have to be banned by law.  Even the Marxist parties like LSSP, CP and JVP should  be banned as their political ideologies do not suit his country.

13 The international community has to honour this Sri Lankan identitty. Discontinue diplomatic relations with all countries that do  not agree to these conditions and deport their Diplomatic representatives immediately  and turminate all relations with such countries until they agree to do so.

14 This country will not get alinged with any World power. We will strictly adhear to the Non-aligned policy as a free, Independent and soverign nation. Any attempt by any country to interfere or intervene with the internal affairs of this country will be rejected and defeated.

15  No national asset within the Island and its territorial waters shall be sold to or otherwise divested in any forreing country or agency.

16This country will enter in to a cultural, economic and polirtical co-oporation cartel with all Buddhist countries.

Whatever the Government that comes to power these national policies shall never change. They should be written in to the Constitution. So that there will always be a strong and stable government at the center and good governance will prevail for the prosperity and happiness of all its subjects.  The most fundamental feature of this system is that it will be a government of the people of this country, by the people of this country and for the benefit of the people of this cpountry and not for the sole benefit of politicians, their families and cronies as it has come to stay today.

It is also proposed that Under this system and the new Constitution too, a patriotic Government shall be set up   for a limited period to arrest the present mess with provisions to revise the status quo at the end of the agreed period.

Proposed model of Government without Political Parties

The proposed Model envisages replacing the existing so-called modern Western democratic system of government imposed on us by force and intrigue by the colonial invaders, with a novel native system, sans the political parties, administrative and legal systems and social values imposed on us by them. Going back to our roots in search of a permanent remedy to these ugly colonial legacies of political, legal,social, economic and mental maladies handed down to us by the West, to disrupt, disorganize and destroy our country to achieve their diabolical strategic, military and economic goals, is the aim of this effort.

How a government without political parties is formed is given in details below. 

Towards a Government without Political Parties, corruption, waste and extravagance. This is expected to  replace the pressent system of kleptocratic Government, with good governance or Mahasammatha Government and  install a system of government of the people, for the people and by the people in this country. Selection and election of politicians as well as the selection and appointments of Public Officials under this system will be based on the cardinal principles  of meritocracy in the seats of Government and ultimate public good. Both politicians and public oficials under this system will be only servants of the people and they will cease to be masters any more

Main features of the Government Machinery

1  Uttaritara Jatika Rajya Purohita Sabha (UJRPS) A  Supreme  National Advisory Council at the    Centre ( S N A C)

Its constitution

  1. a) The Mahanayaka Theros of Malwatta, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikaya 4
  2. b) MahanayakaTheras of Kotte ,Ruhunu, RangiriDambulu,UvaWanavasi Sects 4
  3. c) Two eminent scholarly monks nominated by the 8 Mahanayaka Theras 2
  4. d) The three Religious leaders of Catholic, Hindu and Islam 3
  5. e) Speaker Rajya Sabh                                   1
  6. f) Attorney General 1
  7. g) Head of the Publicservice                                                                  1
  8. h) Secretary to the Treasury)* 1

Total                                                                                                                                                     17

*(The Secretary to the Treasury, like in the Civil Service days, should be the most senior and competent Public Servant from the Sri Lanka State Administrative Service. SLSAS should also be fully upgraded and reorganized to the level of the unchallengeable Premier Public Service and the steel frame of the machinery of the State)

+ Except c all others be ex-Officio. President can appoint them on a letter from the 8 Makanayaka Theras

This will be a non-political Supreme National Advisory Council that stands above all political and state institutions and individuals in the country. It is an independent National Institution set up primarily and solely to protect and safeguard national interest and welfare of the people. It is expected that this Council will act as the guardian god to protect this country and the nation.  This Council to be formally appointed by the President of the Republic.

There shall be a Secretary to this council, who should be of the highest rank from the SLAS.

eg Sec. to the President, Prime Minister and Treasury or even higher.

It is also suggested that a new Secretaries Service like in the old Civil Service days be created again from among the most senior and competent memebers of the SLA Service. Ministry Secretaries should be appointed only from this Service in order to maintain the highest standards and recognition.

Powers and functions of the Uttaritara Jatika Rajya Purohita Sabha  (UJRPS)

1 Advising the government on all matters on national planning and agreements with foreign countries and all foreign agencies. No such agreement should be entered upon without the concurrence of the JRPS

2Vesting all powers presently exercised by the Parliamentary Committee on the selection of officers for local and Diplomatic posts should be vested with the UJRPS as the present Parliamentary Committee has now become a big fast as political considerations have overtaken its legal consideration.

3 All decisions and appointments taken and made without the concurrence of the UJRPS shall be declared unconstitutional and illegal

A fully eqipped National Secretariat for the UJRPS should be set up under a senior Secretary of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service of the rank of the Secretary to the President or Prime Minister. The CPC building complex at Pallekele Mahanuwara District could be used for this purpose as the Provincial councils will be abolished under the new system.

2  Supreme National Planning Council (SNPC) Uttaritara Jatika Selesum Mandalaya (UJSM)

It is also proposed that we set up a Permanent Supreme National Planning Council consisting of 10 or 15 eminent persons in fields like Economics, Finance Agriculture, Environment, Industry Education, Trade and Commerce, History and Culture of this country etc, to prepare the overall National Plan so that politicians will have only to implement national policies after they get elected.

This will be appointed by the President of the Republic on the approval of the Jatika Rajya Sabha and the concurrence of the Supreme National Advisory Council UJRPS.

Every plan prepared by this Council has to be formally approved by the legislature and the President of the Republic in consultation with the Supreme National Advisory Council UJRPS

3 A Strong Central Government

1  Executive President (to be called Lakisuru)

The President of the Republic of Sinhale shall be elected by the of the whole country.

Persons nominated for the post of President should be of unblemished character and unasssailable integrity and dignity, over 40 years of age and who has rendered a distinguished service to the country in any field like Law, Politics, Administration, Academia, Science, Finance, Agriculture and Industry, Trade and Commerce and Culture or any other professional field. He should be a proven National Figure acceptable to all at Home and who  could command the respect of the International community. .

Only a Sinhalese Buddhist shall be nominated for this position. That was the inalienable tradition in this country throughout history for the past 2500 yers in selecting the Head of the State

His term of office shall be 6 years. He should not run for office for more than two consecutive terms unless the whole country wants him back.

He shall be elected on a non-party basis  He should be a Sinhalese and a Buddhist of unasssailable dignity and integrity

It is proposed that TWO or THREE names of outstanding personalities over 40 years shall be nominated as candidates by the Supreme National Advisory council to the Election Commission so that people also could have a wider choice. Selection could be made on public nomination or self -application submitted to the UJRPS/SNAC The UJRPS in sessions can deliberate and select the three names.

After nomination is made and the approval of the Supreme National Advisory Council is given, the Election Commission will arrange for three Public debates over the TV to enable the people to select the best person

The aggregate of all votes received by a candidate should exceed 50 percent of the valid votes poled for him to be declared elected as the President.

He cannot be removed from office during his tenure wihtout a referendum among the electors as the case may be.

2  Prime Minister ( Agramatya)

An Electoral College consisting of the 18 Chairmen of the 18 Executive Committees  (JRS 15+ UMS 3) as stated below will elect the most suitable person among them as the Prime Minister. He shall be formally appointed as the Prime Minister by the President of the Republic thereafter, with the concurrence of the Supreme National Advisory Council. The Prime Minister shall be in charge of the subjects of National Security, External Affairs and Buddha Sasana. The Prime minister shall always be elected from the JRS.

The President will preside over the Amatya Mandalaya (Cabinet) but he shall not be incharge of any Ministry

This will enable reducing the present scale of the President Office and Staff, there by reducing the present mega vote unnecessarily spent on the President keeping to the bare minimum needed to maintain the dignity and security of thr President.

3 The Jatika Rajya Sabha (JRS)

(Ratika Rajya Sabha (Parliament) shall consists of The President, Pahala Mantrana Sabha  (PMS)

Rajya Sabha shall be the supreme Legislative body in the country. Its legislative power is in-alienable.

4  The  Pahala Mantarna Sabha (PMS)

It will have 168 Members elected to represent the 28 Districts at 6 Members per District The 28 Districts to be set up under the Tun Rata Sabha system as given below).Each District shall be demarcated  in to 6 Eelctorates to enable the JRS Memebers to be elected

The Jatika Rajya Sabha  will get the Sabhanayaka (Speaker), Niyojya Sabhanayaka (Deputy) and Karaka Sabha Sabhapathi (Chairman Committes) elected at its first meeting. It will also  elect the 15 Executive Committes at this meeting.

When these three members gets elected as above, the balance 165 will form in to 15 Executive Committees  at 11 members each.. Each Committee will then elect one member as its Chairman and another as Deputy Chairman.

Where a Committee is unable to elect its Chairman the President, in consultation with the Sabhanayaka (Speaker) of the House will appoint a Member from among the members of that Committees to be Chairman

The President will appoint the Chairmen of the Executive Committees of the Jatika Raj Sabha as Ministers. (PMS 15). He will also apppoint 15 Deputy Ministers from the PMS. But he cannot remove any Minister or Deputy  unless the Committe Concerened makes such formal request in writing from him for reasons such as misconduct, insolvency, failure to perform his duties due to illness, misbehavior, breach of trust or finding guilty by a court of law etc

This will remove the arbitrary powers of the President in appointing and removing Ministers and Deputies at his will to suit his private agenda like a despot, as it is done today and make the process more democratic and also allow the Ministers to work independently as representatives of the people answerable to them instead of the President. (Under the present system not only the Ministers and Deputies but all MPP and even the organizers have become virtual hostages in the hands of the President or Party Leader. So much so it has boiled down to a one man show- a virtual dictatorship. The proposed arrangement is expected to restore democracy and Yahapalanaya in its true sense once again in this country unlike ).

Thereafter at a Joint meeting of the Chairmen of the 15 Executive Committees will elect the Chairman of the National Executive Committe (Amatya Mandalaya- Cabinet)  who shall be the nomminee for the post of Prime Minister. Therafter the President shall appoint the Prime MInnister after getting the concurrence of the UJRPS

Term of office of Jatka Rajya Sabha shall be 5 years starting on 1st of May immediately following the General Election. Elections should be held in the month of April immediately after the Sinhala New Year.

6 The Amatya Mandalaya (Cabinet)

There shall be an Amatya Mandalaya of 15 All the Chairmen of the Executive Committees will function as the Cabinet presided over by the President but he  should not hold any MInistry. . The 15 Committees in the PMS will be named as Ministries on a functional basis like Agriculture, Industries, Finance & Public Administration & Home Affairs, Justice, Health and social Service, Education, Lands and Irrigation, Trade and commerce, Public Works, Cultural Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Shipping and Aviation, Telecommunications, Information & Media etc. Only functionally related subjects should be allocated to each ministry.

7 Machinery of Governance

The present system of Government Ministries, Departments,  Corporations and Statutory Bodies will continue to function after scrapping all superficial and redundant ones to maintain economy of governance. Number of these institutions  should be kep to the bare minimum required for economy.

8 Sovereignty

Sovereignty of the people will rest with the people and it will be exercised by The President, Rajya Sabha and the Judiciary, and by the People at a referendum. The legislative powers of the Rajya Sabha shall be in-alienable

Government will execute its policies and Programmes at different levels through central government Ministries, Departments, Disa Lekam Karyala (District Secretariats), Upadisapathi Karyala (Divisional Secretariats) and Grampathi Karyala  and Rata Sabhas, Disa Sabhas, Upadisa Sabhas and Grama Sabha and Nagara Sabhas  at each level dealing with Governance and developments.

The Central government Officials at each level will function as the ex-officio Secretaries of the peripheral government institutions. For example the District Secretary of a District will be the Secretary of the District Council. Same principle will apply at Divisional, and Village level as well, ending up with the Gampathi/Grama Lekam becoming the Secretary to the Grama Sabha at the village level.

9 The Head of the District Secretariat

The Head of the Ditrict Seretariat should be named as District Secretary and Disapathi. The anachronistic colonial term GA should be scrapped immediately as they have ceased to be the Agents of any government long ago and today they are only Public Servants of the people of this country, and as it also carries the stigma of colonial administration. Similarly the designation of the GS should also be changed as Gampathi/Grama Lekam

All these Government Institutions and Councils must be administered by professional Public Servants recruited through open competitive examinations only where meritocracy shall be the hallmark. No appointment   in public Service both in th epublic sector and the corporate sector  should be given on patronage outside the approved Schemes of recruitment. The prevailing pract ice of appointing of defeated cadiddate or politiocal nominees to public service shold be immediately done away with.

The Sabhas should be presided over by the Disapathi. At he Divisional level it should be presided by the Pradesiya Upadisapathi. This arrangement will enhance the sovereignty of the people while at the Same time strengthening independence and quality and efficiency of delivery of services by State officers at the same time.

Appointments to Public Service shoulsd be done strictly according to the ethnic ratio to avoid discrimination against the majority sinhalese.

10 Election of Members to Jatika Rajya Sabha, Village Councils  and Grama Sabhas. (The present white elephants, Palath and the Pradesiya Sabha system which has exponentially increased the number of politicians in this country and totally disrupted the Provincial  and Divisional Administration in the country and skyrocketed public expenses, corruptions and wastage of public funds should be scrapped immediately and it it is suggested that we get back to the former Gamsabha system at the Korala level. With this reorganization enormous amounts spent on them and those institutions with no gain to the country could then be spent on development for the benefit of the people. Grama Sabha proposed here will be different from Gam Sabha (village Coouncils/Committees) as described below.

Election to these bodies will be done on an electoral and ward basis as decided by the Election Commissioner General who will also function as the Chairman of the National Election Commission.

11 Qualifications to run for political office

 Election to all Sabhas will invole two stage namely selection and election

The selection as well as election of persons under this system will depend solely on the overall quality such as education, character and proven capacity, ability and commitment to serve the people.  Minimum 5 years permanent residence within the electorate should be made compulsary for a candidate to qualify to be nominated for that seat.All those who aspire to get in to politics should clearly understand that politics is not a job to make money but it is only a chance to serve the people. Minimum educational qualifications should be laid down for candidate at each level Eg  JRS minimum a University degree or above and Gamsabha auniversity degree or A level. (details have to be worked out by a national Committtee)

12 Selection and Election of Members to the Jatika Rajya Sabha and other Sabhas

Candidates at different levels shall be first selected by the respective Councils on public consensus by Nomination or application, from among qualified and distinguished persons permanently resident within such electorates. (They also can hold a primary election to select them). They will be elected on a non-party basis as there will be no parties in this system, on the first past post basis on and electoral basis thereafter. The simple criterion for selection shall be all-round suitability to hold public position.  This system will see the real Mahasammatha principle in practice. (Since Elections to JRS, are conducted at District levels for the purpose of electing them, the District Council will submit the  lists

There shall be 3 or 2 names for each electorate, for the JRS candidates from among  whom the voters of the respective electorate will elect 1 for the JRS

Only persons with permanent residence within the electorate are qualified to be nominated for any given electorate.

The persons who come first in each electorate will go to the Jatika Rajya Sabhava.

At the conclusion of the Election the Commissioner of Election will announce the list of Jatika Rajya Sabha.

The timing of elections should be sequetially arranged in a sequential manner to ensure there is no disruption of public life in the country and smooth governance is maintained through out

 13 Local Government

This will be a Five- tiered structure

1 Grama Sabha –     Grama Seva Level ;voluntay like Grama sanvardhana samiti

2 Korala Sabha Village Councils with Judicial powers as in the past

3 Upanagara Sabha

4 Nagara Sabha

5 Mahanagara Sabha

(details of functions of these institutions has to be worked ou)t

*Referring to Sinhalese Village Council system even J. F. Dixon, one of the most renowned British Civil Servants, GA of CP in his Annual Administrative Report of 1872 has described the Village Council system that was there before 1815 in this country as ‘a remarkable system of self government which under native rule was so strikingly developed in the Village Communities of the East’ He said so after reintroducing the system in the Central Province, they abolished in the wake of 1818 Independent Struggle. Korale level we can have the old Gamsabha for the purpose of deciding petty disputes at village level under the M/Justice to replace present Sama Mandala).

ThereforeI strongly recommend we should review  and re-establish this system at the Korala Sabha level with judicial functions as early as possible as a mechanism to effectively deal with village level problems.  The only difference between then and now will be: they were appointed by the  King or his subordinates instead under the present sytem  they will be elected. (Setting up of people’s committees consisting of 5 village elders including the village monk, GS, village School master and three other elders is suggested to deal with petty village disputes to promote harmony and  peace at each village level. I have experimented this system very successfully in 1966-1971 at Uda Dumbara when I was DRO and it proved a wonderful success in solving village level problems with no cost to poor villagers and also saving their time and moneyenabling them to engage in their day to day work without resorting to cumbersome litigations

14 Election of Members of Disa Sabha (District Councils), Upadisa Sabha (Divisional Councils) Grama Sabha  to be conducted as follows.

We start here with the Grama Sabha

Grama Sabha at GS Divisions Level

There will be a Grama Sabha for each GS Division consisting of all above 18 years in the village who are qualified for membership and it will function as a voluntary association of the village like a Grama Sanwardhana Samitiya. A Grama sabha   will have an elected Council of 15 members elected by the residents of the Gramaseva Division. The Council will elect a Chairman for the Grama Sbah. There shall be one Grama Sabha for each Gampathi division. No one under 21 years of age shall be qualified to be appointed to any office in a Grama Sabha.

A separate Committee under each councilor, comprising all villagers over 18 years of age will be set up at this level as well. Each such Committee will be directly linked to the 15 Executive committees at the centre (JRS 15) and the periphery.

The Grama Sabha  will be elected for a period of five years by the voters of the Grama Seva Division at a Grama Sabha  meeting summoned and presided over by the Gampathi.

The Gampathi while holding Office will also function as the Secretary of the Sabha as well.

The Village Monk, and the Village School Master will function in an advisory capacity while all village level public officers like the Cultivation officer, Cooperative Inspector, Public Health Officer an others of similar capacity will function as ex-officio members of the Grama Sabha. But they will have no voting rihgts.

The out   going Grama Sabha at its last meeting at the expiry of its term of office   should select the list of candidates for the next Sabha at its last meeting by consensus and submit to the Grama Sabha  for approval for the next election. The term of office may be limited to two or three terms.

At the conclusion of the election the Council at its first meeting presided over by the GS   they will elect the Chairmen of the 15 Committees and then elect one of them as the Sabhapathi/Chairman of the Grama Sabha.

For this Council to function smoothly with authority and in line with the national system the name GS should be replaced with the new term Gampathi/ Grama Lekam. The GS system has to be fully reorganized and re-structured   (including the scheme of recruitment, educational qualifications and salaries etc) to meet the demands of this new situation.

The Chairman and Secretary of the Grama Sabha will represent the Grama Sabh at the at the Korala Sabha

Upa Disa Sabha

The Upadisapathi, will preside over the Sabhaas Ex-Oficio Chairman of the Upa Disa Sabha (Divisional . It will consist of the MP/s of the Electorates, Chairman of the Village Councils and Grama Sabhas. (Village Councils to be set up at Korala level), and all Upadisa level Publlic Offocers. The Upadisapathi presides over the meetings as Ex-Officio Sabhapathi, and the OA/Chief Clerk of the Upadisapathi Divisional Secretary will function as the Lekam and he will keep the records of the meeting. The and Chairman Upa Disa Sabha (Divisional Councils) an dthe MPP will represent the Upadisa Sabha at the Disa Sabha. Upa Disa should be co-terminus with the  as far as possibe with the JRS electorate. For large electorates we may have more than one Upa Disa Divisions..

Disa Sabha

All the JRS Members of the respective Disava and the Disa Lekam/ and all District level Heads of Departments and Government Instituions, Upa Disa Sabha (Divisional Councils) Chairmen and Secretaries, Mayors and Chairmen of TCs and Village Council nominated by the Commissioner of Local governemnt in the District will go to form the  Disa sabha. The Disapathi will preside over the Disa Saba and the Atireka Diasapathi of the District will function as th Ex-Officio Secretary of the Sabha. Main functions of the Disa Sabhava will be coordination and supervision of formulatin and implementation of Govt work at the District level. If necessary you can have subcommittees at this level for each area such as Agriculture, Irrigation, Industry, Education, Religious and Cultural affairs and other development work

This scheme is expected to drastically reduce the number of parasitic politicians, excess public servants and enormous public expenditure and improve coordination and efficiency of delivery of services to people. The Government Officials like the Disapathi, Upa Disapathi and Gampathi will represent the interest of the Central Government at th erespectiv elevel and the elected Chairmen at the District and Divisional levels will represent the people’s interest at these respective levels. Both politicians and Public Officers will work together as a team to deliver the services to the people and carry out development withhin their respective Ratas, Disavas and Upa disavas. But at the same time each will   act as a device of check and balance on the other to ensure the best service to the people.

(Details of powers and functions of each of these Sabhas, their officials, inter Sabha relations etc have to be worked out in detail as the above is only an outline of the proposal)

Note: Establishment of Rata sabhas may be dropped for the moment and reconsidered at a future date. But the RATA boundaries should be demarcated and established on ground to defeat separatism to re-establish the historical concept of the TUN RATA  in the minds of people and also to erace the colonial legacy of Provinces from the minds of the people.

15 Elections

Elections to all Positions at all levels except for the post of President of the Republic shall be conducted as follows according to a fixed time schedule to avoid overlapping and ensure and sustain smooth operation of the Sabhas and not to interupt the delivery of services to people.

1) Day one

Grama Sabha, Nagara Sabha and Mahanagara Sabha Elections

2) Day Two  within one week after the day one

Village councils at Korale level  Elections

3) Day Three within one week after the day Two

Upadisa Sabha  NO Elections only forming

4)  Day four within one week after day three

Disa Sabha, NO Elections only forming  the Sabha

16) Presidetial election :  Details to be worked out (once selected the candidates can have three TV debates  televised country wide to enable the people to select the best as the President.

17) General Elections    For the JRS

The election process described here will have no opposing propaganda meetings, no posters and cut outs or banners, no demonstrations, no murders, no bribes, no public demonstrations, no wastage of time and money, no disruption of public Services or any other Service and the cost will also  be minimum, perhaps the country want even feel.

However in case of JRS and Village Councils after selection the selected candidates can have a maximum of 3 public joint  meetings to enable the electors to have the best choice. This will further reduce cost save people’s productive working hours for development programmes . There will also be no soliciting, back biting, bribing and infighting and above all politics in this country will, once and for all, cease to be a plundering business and get transformed in to a sacred mission  of service to man, I hope.

Finally, I appeal you all Patriotic people to go back to the following traditional Geopolitical system to achieve our targets of building a stable, strong, peaceful and prosperous country.

18 The Tun Rata: Ruhunu, Pihiti and Maya (Tun Hele)

The whole Island and its territorial waters will be divided in to three Regions (RATA)  as Ruhunu, Pihiti and Maya keeping with the age old tradition that had been there in this country from 427 BC to 1815 AD. (no other country in the world has had an uninterrupted geopolitical system for such a long time like this)

Initially these RATAs will be used anly as administrative Divisions to cordinate District administration.

(This division of Tun-Sinhale map which continued until 1815 with minor boundary changes, the last being the Udarata Rajadhaniya (Kandyan Kingdom) with its capital in Senkadagala Pura (Kandy) extending up to the sea right round the Island including the Rjarata, part of Malaya Rata and Ruhun Rata excepting a narrow coastal belts occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch and British successively, more particularly in the South Western littorals).

(It must be noted with precision that the,Tun Sinhale or Ceylon as the British called it, when it was handed over to us to be governed as a dominion under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947 within the British Commonwealth of Nations (10th Dec 1947) included the whole Island. The only part of the ancient Tun Sinhale territory that was not handed back to us was the Maldives Islands, which the British retained as one of their protectorates under clause 2 Part 1 of the said order until 26th July 1965 and declared it as a separate country. Besides failing to claim for Maldives our politicians could not get restored even the very name of this country-Sinhale” ceded to them in 1815. They also failed to send out nearly 1 million South Indian coolies like what Burma did in 1947. Today they occupy nearly 13 lahks acres of our Motherland on the hills right at the centre of the country where the present government of RW has now taken steps to establish  a Malayanadu for these Indian Tamils thereby not only betraying the sons of the soil, who owned it from the dawn of history but also hading over the heartland of our motherland permanently to ).

It is in this backdrop the following proposal is made with the best of intentions with a view to rescuing the country from the present tragic separative situation by bringing all communities together as one nation. In order to achieve this noble goal, it is suggested that we go back to the re-establishment of the ancient Thri-Sinhale with boundaries as shown in this map. This division will ensure equitable distribution of resources, both physical and human, (land, water, coast line and even people),among the three units,  restore ethnic integration and reconciliation and firmly establish a permanent geopolitical framework that will, once and for all, put an end to the present political and ethnic crisis and lay the foundation for re-building a united, strong and vibrant nation state.

Above all it will enable us to get rid of the curse of the British Provincial System imposed on us in 1833 along with the Huniyama that is Palalth Sabha thrust on us by force by India in 1987 and also the Tamil Homeland dream in the north and East given by JR under his July 29th 1987 Accord with Rajiv.

This, I am confident will provide the golden key to ethnic integration and national, Regional and village level development in this country.

The following map shows the proposed Tun Rata Divisions, 27 Districts and the Capital District.

Map  1

 

Sudath Sudath Gunasekara 2004

The 3 Ratas on ground shall be re-established accordingly. I have used Mahaweli, Walawe andDeduru Oya as their boundaries. But boundary changes could be made after factors like population; area and ethnicity are carefully studied in detail before we finally decide on the boundaries to avoid future ethnic segregation. The need to not to disturb the overall historic ethnic composition, needed to avoid communal segregation, as a safeguard to territorial integrity etc to be born in mind, when demarcating these boundaries has to be stressed.  The boundaries of the proposed geopolitical division will extend from top to the sea coast.

I do not propose to have separate elected bodies for these 3 Rata at the moment The bounderies will replace the present Provincial Bounderies  with many Provinces coming together. The Rata Bounderies will serve only as Sub-Administrative regions where the Districts will be brought together. They will serve only as geopolitical units for the purpose of cordinating the activities and implementing the development programes of the Central government in the Regions.

Each Rata will be divided in to nine Districts totaling to twenty seven (27) for the whole country. The 28th District where the Capital will be located shall be named as a special District (Capital District- This could be Mahanuwara or Anuradhapura) with special arrangements to represent it in the Jatika Rajya Sabha and the Uttara Mantrana Sabha. Within this geopolitical demarcation one has to give up all divisive dreams like Tamil or Muslim autonomy. Everybody has to think in terms of one nation and one country.

Each District will be demarcated in to six electorates using population and area as the criteria making provision for 6 MPP for the JRS.

19 Members to Jatika Rajaya Sabha

Other than the President of the Republic all other elected Members should be permanent residents of the electorate for which he/she seeks election or appointment to qualify to be elected or appointed to such posts. No person from an outside shall be given nominations.

But any person resident in any part of the country could be nominated for the post of President provided he has the necessary qualifications stipulated in the Constitution.

20 Abolish the Provincial Councils and Pradesiya Sabhas

This will  save more than Rs 600 Billion annually currently wasted just to upkeep Provincial Councilors, their kith and kin and this monstrous and wasteful system for nothing (absolutely brings no benefit to the country) that takes the country and the nation down the Gadarene slope for total disaster and bankruptcy. The money saved could be gainfully used for the development of the country,?

All development work at each level will be done jointly  by the respective Sabhas and Government Departments. But intra-Divisional and Intra District and Intra-Rata project will be handled by the central Government. But no local work should be done by outsiders without the concurrence of the respective Sabhas. The central Government in this case will only facilitate the work with funds, technical knowhow etc. This will ensure self rule for the local people.

.Planning for the grass root level under this system will start at the Grama Sabha, Korala Sabha (Village Council) and it will be cordinated at Divisional, District and RATA level by implementing agencies.

No politician or public servant, either directly or indirectly shall be allowed to engage in contracts with the Government at any level.

The Provinces and Provincial Councils an dthe Pradesiya Sabhas will be abolished under this system immediately.

The proposed Tun Rata Model will benefit the country in the following manner.

21  The proposal will,            

1 Abolish the Provinces introduced by the British in 1832 to divide and rule and destroy this country and the Sinhala Buddhist civilization and it will also abolish the JR/Rajiv Accord of July 29 1987 together with the 13th Amendment that established the Provincial councils.With this the Provincial Councils also will go.

2 Firmly establish a sound, strong and sustainable geopolitical framework that will consolidate the political map and guarantee territorial integrity of the Island that conforms to geographical, regional, and cultural variations and lay the foundation for re-building a strong and vibrant Nation State. Here I propose the age old and time tested Tun Rata model as given in Map 1 with suitable adjustments.

3 Provide a framework for maximum decentralization  of administrative powers within a strong Central Government that will bring about better democracy to the people and ensure balanced and contented development in the regions. The Distric, Division and the village model is the best decentralization unit I propose  for this.

4 Stop ethnic segregation and polarization and promote ethnic and regional harmony and reconciliation that leads finally to national integration. It will also put an end to all agitations for separate and independent Tamil and Muslim political entities and induce them to think and behave as full citizens of this country without having allegiance to India, and Arab world or in the alternative leave for any Land of Promise of their own without trying to grab parts of this country, the Home of the Sinhala nation.

5 Result in the drastic reduction in expenditure on Governance as the Provincial Councils, the elephants will be abolished and the number of politicians and superficial politico-administrative institutions and so-called public  Polirico-Administrative machenary will also be reduced

6 Drastically cut down the Government expenditure and make available more funds for national development that will improve the standards of living of the common people.

7 Put an end to colonial administrative and political legacies that nurtured ethnic polarization and colonial servility, their divide and rule policy that seriously hampered the forward march of the post-independent Sri Lanka and open up new vistas for a united and prosperous new Lanka.

8   Ensure fair and equitable distribution of resources both natural and human among the regions and promote maximum and balanced regional development.

9 Provides a political framework where all people will begin to think firstly, as members of a Rata (Ruhunu, Pihiti or Maya), and secondly, as one nation instead of the present tendency of thinking as Sinhalese (Low country and Kandyans), Tamils or Muslims etc.

10 Restore the lost core historical, political, cultural and economic heritage of the people of this Island nation and lay the foundation for future political stability and socio-economic prosperity as one nation

11 Put an end to the curse of provinces that were designed by the British to divide and dis-integrate this country on ethnic grounds and the Provinces and Provincial Councils forced on us by the British and India to respectively to achieve their sinister private objectives of creating a Tamilnadu within this country.

12 Prevent the formation of the Malayanadu dream in Central Sri Lanka as it will get divided between the Tun Rata and EELAM in the North and East as it will get divided between Rajarata and Ruhuna

13 This system will do away with political rivalries and wastage of time, money and election related crimes and bring about a system of government of our own keeping with the age old traditions of the country.

14 Drastically reduce political and administrative positions and Institutions and overheads.  Therefore it will result in drastic reduction of Government expenditure on salaries, vehicles, buildings and Elections etc

15 Remove dictatorial powers and immunity of the President and empower people with decision making power down to the very grass root level and make their sovereignty meaningful.

16 Will result in the devolution of power to the grass root level and people will share the power of governance making it fully democratic.

17 The number of Ministers and Ministries at the centre will get reduced to fifteen and all politicians at the Provincial level will be snt home so that they can engage in some productive work for teh country  and ceased to be parasites  any longer.

18 Party politics will disappear from Trade Unions, Universities and government offices thereby millions of man hours lost per day on demonstration etc could be used for productive nation building.

19 mark the formation of a government by the people, for the people and of the people. Every citizen under this system will feel proud that he is also a and parcel of the Government.

20 mark the dawn of new era in democracy in practice and might become a model for all countries that have become victims of colonial exploitation and western systems of government, utterly inappropriate to their local environments.

21 This will end the present system of Government by the politicians, for the politicians and of the politicians, their families and cronies” and instead we will have a Home grown system of self Government by the people, for the people and of the people”

22 This system of government is expected to guarantee governance in accordance with Dasarajadharma and enthrone the principle of ‘Bahujana sukhaya Bahujana hitaya” preached by the Buddha.

23 The new system of Government will also be based on the principle where the Wheel of Power will revolve on the Wheel of Dhamma and where Dhamma will form the solid Foundation of Governance.

24 It will mark the dawn of an era of new political culture leading the way to a ‘civilization State’ as Martin Jaque has described in his book ‘When China Rules the world’’.

25 Finally the whole country will begin to move forward with one national policy

26 There will a closer and harmornious relationship between the representatives and voters

27 No politician will be able to run away from responsibility firstly, as they have become local people who are bound with social and moral obligation to the people and secondly, as they could be recalled by the people

28 All institutions will have politicians and professional public servants who are compelled to do what the people want and none will be able to deceive and rob the people and do what they want.

29 The word political victimization will never be heard in this country thereafter as there are no political parties

30 There want be any claim for devolution as maximum power will be decentralized up to the village level under this system for people to take their decisions within the framework of broad National Policies.

31 With an Independent and strong Judiciary and Public Service completely free from political intereference;  a New Political Culture in Sri Lanka and a new approach to Good Governance, all this you can expect under this system

32 Finally political, socio-economic, ethnic and regional conflicts will hopefully come to an end with ethnic and relgious reconciliation within an environment of integration in place of disintegration.
Note the present public servants attached to  the Provincial Councils will be attache d to the District administration.

22 Proposed action Plan

It is suggested that first we appoint a panel of experts to finalize this document. It would be very useful to have public sittings on a District wise basis to get public participation before the preparation of the final Report on which we should base the Mahanuwara Charter 2019; Towards a New Political Culture in Tun Sinhale” to be released very soon.

Under this system the people will prepare their election manifesto and get the politicians to agree to implement it instead of the present practice of politicians preparing their own manifestoes tailored to achieve their own goals and get the people to vote for it.

Thereafter we invite party leaders for a joint meeting and present our document. The group who accept our proposals and gives a definite written undertaking to implement our programme to the letter after they win the election, we will organize the whole country to support them. Just like what the Sinhala Buddhist patriotic people did in 1956, but with a difference, that is they cannot go back  on their promises like how they have been doing ever since 1948, with impunity. Besides acceding to our above requests  they also have to agree to accommodate 28 candidates recommended by us to represent the 28 Districts and agree to reserve a minimum of five important Ministry positions and five Deputy Ministry positions to our movement.

After coming to power under the present Constitution they have to agree to promulgate the new Constitution as agreed within six months and dissolve the Government. Thereafter new Elections have to be held under the new Constitution and immediately begin to implement the new Constitution

Overall these are only some random thoughts that came to my mind. Details have to be worked out jointly by a panel of patriotic experts in each field like eminent persons well versed in Local Government, Constitutional Law,  Systems of government including our own traditional Sinhala system that was there from ancient times an deconomic and socal development.

Dr. Sudath Gunasekara

21.Gemunu Mawatha, Hanthana Pedesa 18. 2. 2019.

One Response to “An open letter to the Mahasangha and all responsible and patriotic segments of this country to save the country and the nation from the present political quagmire”

  1. Christie Says:

    Your Tun Hele was when there were only Sinhalese in this country.

    Now there are two groups. The Sinhalese who have been here before the arrival of Indian Colonial Parasites.

    So there will be two.

    One Nadu occupied by and administered by Indian Colonial Parasites.

    The other; Hele occupied by Sinhalese but controlled by Indian Colonial Parasites with proxy Jeppos.

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