Sri Lankan President strikes an attitude.
Posted on July 10th, 2017
RANJITH SOYSA
Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirsena really assumed a theatrical role when he became a critic of the Police Department and the Attorney General’s Department for ‘wasting’ time” in nabbing the political opponents. One wonders whether he is interested in increasing his power base by this populist remarks when he is the constitutional head of the executive arm of the country and the head of a major political party, a constituent of the present government.
When Sri Lankan government has become almost non-functional in many aspects, the President and the other elected representatives including the Prime Minister have to be responsible to the ordinary masses for the unenviable repercussions. It is very easy to indulge in the blame game and to offer excuses. But, the end result is nauseating.
If the Police and the Attorney General’s department have failed to deliver the desired results even after exerting obvious political pressure by way of appointments made et. It is up to the Government to discuss, strengthen and streamline these organizations -without involving politically-to work efficiently. By spreading populist views the President and the Government will only render more damage to the confidence of the honest employees of the said organizations which are under the Ministers who are responsible to the Legislature.
If on the other hand, the President’s intentions are to bring the Police and the AG under the Executive to catch hold of the political adversaries to save his family as stated by the President it will spell disaster to the rule of law associated with the system of Government of Sri Lanka.
July 10th, 2017 at 9:55 pm
Sirisena has been permanently designated a liar, incompetent and revengeful. He cannot get anything done. However, he has executive presidential powers. A risky combination. However, if he is genuine about punishing the corrupt, he should be supported.
July 11th, 2017 at 12:18 am
I agree with Ranjith. I also agree with Dilrook: “…… if he is genuine about punishing the corrupt, he should be supported”.
But can we ever support him unless he punishes first those criminals who have been caught red handed, like the central robbers?
Be that as it may, the current so-called president is only a straw-man fraudulently stuck into that position by the (antinational) powers that be. He may have been a senior party man, a government minister, etc. for decades perhaps, but he doesn’t seem to know what it means to be an Executive President. His greatest drawback is his inferiority complex, I think, which shows itself in his hardly concealed arrogance of manner in any situation. He betrayed his trusting boss who helped him (in his naivety) to rise to a position from which he could pose as a credible opponent to him. After winning by a margin, on two occasions, by unethical means on both occasions, he asked the people to refer to him only with a single honorific as ‘garu janathipathi thuma’ honourable president (ostensibly, to emphasize his great humility!). This only showed his ignorance. When one refers to a head of state as His/Her Excellency the President, it is not the important or insignificant person holding that office who is meant, but the august office. The office of president embodies the sovereign powers of the nation: the office makes the person Honourable, Right Honourable, or His/Her Excellency etc., not the other way around. It is said that his wife packs his lunch in a plantain leaf wrapper, which he brings to his work, and eats. (This may be true. There was a photo of this in an online publication, I remember). But isn’t that a rather demeaning way to demonstrate his simple lifestyle, as if he was a mere coolie keeping watch over a rich man’s estate? Such populist gestures can impress only a section of the electorate. Few Sri Lankans are suckers for such dishonest displays.
Some government politicians praised him for his readiness to abdicate some of his presidential powers of his own accord. But can he do that legally? Can he give up powers given him by the Constitution, as if they were his patrimony? A couple of days ago a VIP in the government made the same tongue-in- cheek claim, which he knows is plain humbug. Actually, the issue is that the president seems to have forgotten even his normal executive powers, which he could have effectively used to put an end to monks’ agitations by attending to their reasonable grievances.
His wish to bring the police and the AG departments under his thumb simply to save himself and his family from, as alleged, feared assassination attempts by his political adversaries is tantamount to making a mockery, not only of his legitimate executive powers, but also of democracy.
July 11th, 2017 at 7:02 pm
Modi the Emperor, Chandrika the Governor, Ranil the Kankani and Sirisena the Coolie.
July 12th, 2017 at 6:11 pm
Christie has put it very well. Modi the Emperor, Chandrika the Governor, Ranil the Kankani and Sirisena the Coolie. He is a disgrace to all politicians of whatever hue or whatever inclination since the advent of representative politics in Sri Lanka. His level of treachery and dereliction of duty is uncomparable!
Everybody knows he is a mere puppet brought from obscurity to rival Mahinda Rajapakse. Before he became the so-called ‘Common Candidate’ he was a hardly known non-entity to both Muslims and Tamils in Sri Lanka. It would be unimaginable to think that they ever considered him to be a real political counter to formidable Mahinda Rajapakse. In the same way, the Tamils voted for their nemesis – Sarath Fonseka lock stock and barrel at the 2010 Presidential Elections, the Tamils and Muslims together with the majority of Christians voted with eyes closed at the last Presidential Election in Jan 2015 only with the intent of having somebody other than Mahinda Rajapakse.
Bringing Sirisena as the Common Candidate, was a clear machination of the Christian West headed by the US. The mechanics of bringing this regime change was hatched in the US with the tacit understanding of their cat’s paw in Asia – India. It was there they persuaded Ranil the Traitor that he cannot with his own image as the head of the Unpatriotic Party (UNP) ever become the President of Sri Lanka. He was persuaded to become the de-facto President by bringing in the nincompoop Sirisena to be the puppet President of Sri Lanka and the formation of the Unpatriotic Coalition of Traitors – both within the UNP and the SLFP.
It is the wish of the Christian West to change the nature of Sri Lanka to suit their current vision for Asia. Politically and strategically Sri Lanka is important for them and to India to counter the growing power of China. Unless the Sinhalese prevail over the unwarranted demands of the minorities their future is very bleak! The majority must prevail as has been done in Malaysia, Singapore and China – human rights, democracy not withstanding!