Shenali D Waduge

 The world socialist website carried an article by K Ratnayake on 16 February 2015, essence of which portrayed that the Presidential election outcome far from being an ‘uprising of the people’ against Rajapakse autocratic rule, it was a well-planned regime change orchestrated by the US-British-India nexus. The article carries readers from the point of selecting as common candidate Maithripala Sirisena in lieu of serial failure Ranil Wickremasinghe only to place Ranil Wickremasinghe on the mantle of power as planned. We are made to understand that regime change took place because of Rajapakse’s tilt towards China which both India and US/Allies felt was a formidable challenge to their ‘pivot to Asia’ plans.

The dots now make sense

• Mangala Samaraweera visits US on 6 February to hold key discussions with US state dept officials
• Wickremasinghe’s one month US study tour was a cover for his training on how to handle a government takeover with Ambassador Sisson as intermediary.
• US & & UK envoys training selected minority and Colombo elite youth in steering the social media campaigns against the former government.
• Well-funded media cum human right activist combined anti-regime campaign working with an unified aim to portray democracy denied in Sri Lanka and a failed state internationally.
• Rebel political groups/leaders whose funding can be sourced to foreign powers utilized to promote negative propaganda at ground level.
• The unprecedented pressure from US/West backed UN/UNHRC on bogus war crimes charges were to strike fear of Moses into Rajapakse govt to break ties with Beijing as compromise or else end up in The Hague. This exposes the announcement by UNHRC head to defer its report on Sri Lanka in March reason for which was falsely promoted as better ties with new Government. The US (Ambassador Keith Harper/UNHRC) was quick to respond in approval We commend the pledges made – and initial steps taken – by the new Sri Lankan Government to revive Sri Lanka’s democracy, improve governance, support credible justice and accountability mechanisms, enhance the protection of human rights, and facilitate reconciliation after nearly 30 years of war”. It also highlights the hypocrisy behind the illegal Ban Ki Moon panel, a panellist funded by UK (Sooka) to write a report on human rights abuses, other organizations similarly funded to do the same, unending pressure brought to bear on the Rajapaksse government accusation them with statement after statement by Ban Ki Moon, UNHRC heads and other envoys sent at the behest of foreign governments.
• Clinton Foundation payroll member CBK was brought in to cause rumpus within the Rajapakse camp using her SLFP influence over old stalwarts still indebted to her (aim to break SLFP and disintegrate nationalist momentum).
• The modus operandi was to exploit the hostility among workers, young people and poor and bloating a campaign of name-calling (hora / dictator / nepotism ) and the pseudo-left leaders (Wickremabahu) painting Sirisena and Wickremasinghe as democrats as opposed to Rajapakse’ dictator. CHANGE that has collapsed Middle East worked with ease in Sri Lanka and US now claims it has brought ‘democracy’ – a word that only means US has satisfied its neo-colonial geopolitical agenda and local puppets ever ready to align to US agenda become the selected leaders until their usefulness is over!
• 100 day program replica of same program introduced in countries America brought ‘democracy’ to. The undeliverability of the ‘promises’ to the Public was in reality never meant to be delivered and served only as a conduit to take over power.
• Further clues are the manner in which all projects connected to China are being stopped picking excuses from the sky with no concern for the outcome – loss of employment, inconvenience to public from half-built roads/infrastructure and dent in historical relationship with China.
• Good governance was only a slogan to achieve objectives of those funding the campaign can be seen in the manner the Presidential powers were used to place a minority party as Government and the Opposition Leader as Prime Minister when the elected PM – DM Jayaratne had neither resigned or was sacked. So too has been the manner in which only the Rajapakse and chosen ‘enemies’ are declared corrupt while a national government has been selected by plucking SLFP/UPFA MPs with corrupt records to be given Ministerial portfolios. The impeachment of CJ Bandaranaike followed due process therefore the appointment of CJ Mohan Pieris becomes valid and now questions the good governance in the manner CJ Mohan Pieris was ousted and replaced with a new CJ.
• Another slogan has become the abolition of ‘unlimited powers’ of the Executive President with vested parties realizing the need to dilute or break the powers the Constitution held to protect the nation. A common candidate picked from nowhere allowed to enjoy a windfall ascendency to the highest seat of governance will be expected to keep silent when the manoeuvre to transfer executive President powers from the elected President to a questionable appointment of the Prime Minister, regarded as a western stooge. This was to come in the form of the 19^th amendment tied to innocent good governance initiatives like right to freedom as a bait for people to give their consent.
• Disregard or lack of sincerity to bring good governance except to use as a form of CHANGE slogan to fool the masses is clear in the duplicitous manner the new government has presented different versions of the 19^th amendment to the Parliament & Cabinet and questions what version was sent to the Supreme Court for opinion. Right of Information is promised by the Bill is not even made public! While legal counselors have hardly had time to study the 19a to make proper presentations.
• Ranil Wickremasinghe’s record is dismal to say the least though he is held in highest esteem by Western governments. Failed 29 times, as PM during 2002-2004 he empowered LTTE going so far as to declare territory as LTTE. The same personnel with links to LTTE brought as key advisors in 2002 have returned to function as advisors and strategists once more. Hunger to make hay while the sun shines has resulted in these culprits making off with Rs.42billion while the nation is on the verge of bankruptcy. Never before has the Sri Lankan public felt anxious about the economy as well as the national security of the country.
• Local and international media campaign heavily funded to project Rajapakse government as corrupt/undemocratic/ruthless/denying freedoms and human rights – though these slogans are now blowing up in the faces of the installed government adding to a rising displeasure for present rule and leadership which is likely to quickly force foreign players to re-maneuver bringing further drastic changes that the present leaders should feel seriously worried about.

Clearly evidence shows of a well planned regime change. Only item not seen was assassination attempts another hallmark of foreign regime change.

If so we should be cautious about allowing legislatures to be bribed or influenced into passing the 19^th amendment with attempts to dilute the powers of the constitution.

Examples of Constitutions drafted by US/Allies

• Foreign interference took place in re-drafting Cambodia’s constitution – the attempt was to remove the fundamental human rights and freedoms in the founding document. A Constitutional Council was also introduced with US constitutional lawyers arriving to determine what they feel is a fundamental right. Incidentally the link to article is by the Executive Director of Transparency International Cambodia!
  http://www.phnompenhpost.com/analysis-and-op-ed/constitutional-justification-missing
• Nepal too raised objection to foreign interference in drafting its Constitution process. At present, some of the neighbours are giving us unsolicited advice on Constitution-drafting,” said former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal. But China has not tried to dictate terms here, so I want express special thanks to her.” http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/nepali-leaders-slam-foreign-interference/article6840784.ece
• Iraq new constitution not surprisingly has ‘made in USA’ written all over it as has happened to the Fiji Constitution and the Haiti Constitution http://www.globalresearch.ca/haiti-us-to-re-write-haiti-constitution-to-better-service-the-one-percent/5342300 – The US version of human rights is clear The right to own property does not extend to the coasts, springs, rivers, water courses, mines and quarries. They are part of the State’s public domain.” (Haiti constitution rewritten to benefit US)

It is clear that the involvement of US and Allies in drafting constitutions target key provisions that they wish to exploit and re-words the legislative clauses to facilitate and manipulate the legal interpretations by influencing the legal system on the basis that everyone and anyone can be bought over (except true nationalists).

Thus, in Sri Lanka’s context of regime change we need to realize that regime change was to oust the person the country believed was their nationalist leader while clauses in the 19^th amendment which we think are drafted by locals must be from inputs and instructions of foreign constitutional experts.

We do not need to look far that the biggest threat to foreign players is the nationalism of the Sinhalese Buddhists who withstood all 3 colonial powers with the British succeeding to occupy Sri Lanka only because the nation was ceded by the same stock of people repeating what took place exactly 200 years ago. (Sinhale Nation ceded to British in 1815 and State Religion Buddhism compromised as a result). Thus, for 200 years the Sinhala nationalists and Buddhism have been the biggest threat to foreign powers and it is this threat they propose to dilute through the introduction of the 19^th amendment to make it irrelevant with time.

Thus it is interesting that petitioning lawyers brought out the inconsistency with Article 9 which gives Buddhism the foremost place and spells that it is the duty of the State to ‘protect and foster the Buddha Sasana’ with the new 19^th amendment Article 33 (2) which says it is the ‘duty of the President to ensure the preservation of religious and ethnic harmony’. Was the opinion of the Supreme Court not made to afford levy to enable lawyers to make mischievous interpretations with inconsistent clauses! The Sinhale Nation had as its state religion Buddhism. The Sinhale nation was ceded to the British who in clause 5 gave assurance to protect Buddhism. Post-colonial independent constitutions must ensure that the foundational roots of the nation remains within the soul of its constitution and thus there is a requirement to make crystal clear that only Buddha Sasana will be protected, fostered and preserved by the State while allowing followers of other religions to practice their religions. The institutes of these religions cannot dictate how the constitution should be written.

Regime change is taking place everywhere and anywhere the US and Allies are pivoting and the templates used are easily identifiable. Equally harrowing is the realization that far from democracy and good governance eventually all these nations that US/Allies transport ‘democratic’ ‘CHANGE’ to end up in chaos, bankrupt and facing multiple conflicts all of which are facilitators for the rest of the cats and dogs to descend with their recipes of ‘solution’ oft termed ‘conflict-resolution’.

Sri Lanka despite its voters being over 90% literate fell prey to the same slogans of CHANGE that have ruined or are presenting ruining nations….luckily people have realized they have been taken for a jolly ride which now demands that the people unite to say a firm NO to the 19^th amendment and ask Ranil Wickremasinghe and his UNP team to first become elected to government through the front door and then bring legislative changes.

Shenali D Waduge