Editorial Courtesy The Island

October 29, 2018, 8:56 pm
Newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed duties yesterday morning at the Prime Minister’s Office while recently ousted Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe was occupying Temple Trees in protest against his removal, which he considers unconstitutional. It looks as if the UNP were occupying the wrong place in that what really matters is the Prime Minister’s Office and not Temple Trees as such. (We hope that we will not be accused of giving the UNP ideas!)

Opinion is divided on the constitutionality of Rajapaksa’s appointment as PM. The two sides to the dispute are peddling persuasive legal arguments. But neither of them can be expected to tell the public the truth because both of them are furthering the interests of the political parties they represent. Facts are being twisted and the Constitutional provisions given different interpretations.

All professions are conspiracies against the laity, as Bernard Shaw has famously said. The black-coated fraternity is the worst when it comes to deceiving the hapless public. We have many lawyers arguing for or against the recent change of government ad nauseam. People may buy into these arguments, depending on their political convictions.

There is no use making addresses to the jury of sorts on the current situation for the consumption of the public. The discerning people who are not blinded by political biases will not accept lawyers’ arguments. If they are to be convinced, the legal bigwigs, representing the two sides, will have to take their dispute to courts and get a ruling. Only the apex court is empowered to interpret the Constitution officially.

Meanwhile, some members of the international community have expressed their concern over the political situation here. They want the constitutional process followed and democracy safeguarded. Their statements will, no doubt, be a solace to the aggrieved party. But the question is how genuine their concerns about Sri Lankan democracy are. How many of them helped protect democracy here when it was threatened by terrorism? Didn’t they pressure Sri Lanka to give parity of status to the LTTE, which claimed to be the sole representative of Tamils though it did not have representation even in a local government body? They did not allow Tamil political parties to take part in ‘peace talks’ and tied the implementation of an aid pledge (USD 4.5 billion) to the progress to be made in negotiations with the Tigers. Where was their concern for democracy then? Sri Lanka saved its democracy from terrorism in spite of them.

President Maithripala Sirisena has crossed the Rubicon rightly or wrongly. However, it is certainly not curtains for the beleaguered Grand Old Party, which is no stranger to crises. It can open two escape routes—via Hulftsdorp and Sri Jayewardenepura.

The UPFA government is like a premature baby; it is still in the incubator of parliamentary prorogation. Its survival depends on the numbers game to be played in Parliament. Ironically, the Joint Opposition/Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna combine used to flay the UNP-led government for postponing elections to avoid defeat, and now it is delaying parliamentary sittings in a desperate bid to raise the required numbers and consolidate its power. Thirst for power always takes precedence over moral scruples in politics.

Whether President Sirisena acted within the confines of the Constitution in appointing the new PM may be debatable, but he is empowered to prorogue Parliament. It is highly unlikely that he will revoke the prorogation. Why his critics do not move the courts against Rajapaksa’s appointment is the question.

One can only hope that the UPFA and the UNP will act responsibly, without losing sight of the dark clouds of anarchic turmoil forming on the horizon.