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Sri Lakan Presidential elections: Reject self-imposed incompetent politicos

Nagananda Kodituwakku from London

Careful study of both UNP and SLFP party constitutions shows that they have closed doors to the honest competent people who wishes enter into the mainstream politics. In both major parties the leader enjoys enormous executive power denying the elected MPs and the general party membership any right in the leadership selection process.

Undemocratic process followed by SLFP, JVP ALLIANCE

When former Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranayake died Mahinda Rajapakse vehemently opposed the appointment of Kadiragamar, the then foreign minister, who received the consensus of the most of the alliance MPs. Despite that, Rajapakse pleaded Chandrika, unless he is appointed he would leave the Alliance with sizable number of MPs and join the opposition. The party leader Chandrika was not bothered to respect the consensus of the elected MPs or the general party membership. Instead she simply made Rajapakse the Prime Minister.

Once the election for President was due [not because President Chandrika honored her obligations under the constitution but the court held that she should go] Rajapakse once again changed gears. He demanded Chandrika that no other person except him should contest the forthcoming presidential election. Again, paying no respect to the aspiration of the general membership or elected PMs Chandrika declared him to be the presidential candidate.

Rajapakse never proved his character or his suitability to the elected MPs or to the general party membership. He only acquired the candidacy by force, because of greediness for power and not that he wanted to serve the country.

UNP: worse scenario

After Machiavellian Jayawardena became the leader of the UNP he took all measures to strengthen his position in the party. He amended the party constitution to serve his utterly selfish desires. Paying no respect to basic democratic values Jayawardena retained the absolute power of appointing all members [50] to the Executive Committee of the party. Although some senior members who left the party demanded a change in the party constitution with a view to have a good honest leader that never materialized. This is the root cause as to why a utter competent person like Ranil W, who has lost the mandate of the people in very many occasions, still enjoys the party leadership and hence automatic selection to the Presidential candidacy.

How the process works in true democracies

People should learn lessons from the true democracies. Take the UK for example. It is worthwhile to learn the process followed by the Conservative party in it's leadership selection process. According to the party constitution, one who seeks to become the party leader should prove his character, his honesty, his commitment and dedication for the cause to the elected MPs and also to the general membership of the party and should win their consensus.

Following the resignation of Michael Howard who lost the confidence of the voters in the last general election, the party, in keeping with the provisions of the party constitution, is in the selection of new leader.

After two rounds of selection process by the Conservative Members of Parliament now remaining two members face the final test before the general party membership. It is important to note that in this process, a party members is eligible to vote, if he is the member of the Party at least three months before the closing date of the voting.

The final two candidates are now allowed six weeks for election campaigning to win the postal ballot of the Conservative Party's 300,000 members in the final selection of the next leader of the Party. The characters of the two persons are minutely tested before appointed to the leadership who will then become eligible to seek mandate from the people for the party. Whoever receives the majority votes becomes party leader, with a final result expected on 6 December.

Food for thought for the people who are always taken for a ride

We all know that Sri Lanka is one of the countries going backward. Ever since independence, Sri Lanka has failed to produce a single leader with a vision to lead the country out of misery, ensuring people of all communities to lead an honorable life in harmony. Therefore, the people should take steps to address the main causes for the problem. The first and foremost thing is to call for the democratization of the mainstream political parties in leadership selection process, guaranteeing an opportunity to right thinking, honest people to come forward. Unless and until this basic wrong is put to right the people will have no other choice but to elect power hungry politico cheats who will continue to deceive the people to their advantage while dragging the country further down the drain.

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