Some elements exploiting virus to prolong crisis, alleges SLPP NL nominee
Posted on May 10th, 2020
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
Yuthukama Convenor Gevindu Cumaratunga, yesterday (10), alleged that the political forces defeated at the last presidential election were still trying to pursue their agenda inimical to the Sri Lanka State.
Cumaratunga said that in spite of being routed by SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the November 2019 presidential poll those who backed UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa’s candidature were making a desperate bid to regroup.
Civil society activist Cumaratunga who is also on the SLPP National List alleged that the unexpected global health crisis caused by coronavirus was being exploited by political opponents to their advantage.
If not for corona crisis, the SLPP could have convincingly won parliamentary polls originally scheduled for April 25, Cumaratunga said, pointing out that the UNP-led coalition resigned in the wake of heavy presidential polls defeat.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa won by over 1.3 mn votes prompting several ministers to resign even before the UNP did so, Cumaratunga said.
Responding to another query, Cumaratunga said that the treacherous 19th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in 2015 prevented newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from calling parliamentary polls immediately after his overwhelming victory.
The President had no option but to wait till March 2, 2020 to dissolve parliament in terms of the 19th Amendment, Cumaratunga said.
Enacted with the backing of more than 200 lawmakers of the 225-member parliament, the 19th Amendment stipulated the House couldn’t be dissolved before it completed four and half years of its five-year term, Yuthukama leader said.
Alleging that the Opposition elements engaged in politics at the expense of much needed stability harmed post-corona recovery programme, Cumaratunga pointed out that breakaway UNP faction-the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) exposed its despicable intentions by moving court against parliamentary polls now scheduled for June 20.
Cumaratunga emphasized that the Election Commission (EC) on April 20th fixed parliamentary polls for June 20 after having indefinitely postponed parliamentary elections on March 19.
Cumaratunga said that SJB General Secretary former lawmaker Ranjith Maddumabandara (SJB National List) and JHU General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka (SJB Colombo District contestant at the 2020 parliamentary polls moved Supreme Court on behalf of Sajith Premadasa’s outfit. In addition to them, former editor of Ravaya Victor Ivan and several others as well as Dr. Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu on behalf of the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) challenged the March 2 dissolution of parliament and EC fixing polls for June 20.
Attorney-at-law Charitha Gunaratne, too, filed a fundamental rights petition against the EC’s decision.
The Supreme Court will hear petitions filed against the scheduled election. Cumaratunga pointed out that the breakaway UNP factions realized they faced unprecedented defeat at the parliamentary polls hence wanted to further put off polls. The civil society activist said that interested parties moved court after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declined to rescind Gazette Extraordinary no. 2165/8 that dissolved the last parliament.
Cumaratunga said that reconvening of the dissolved parliament under whatever circumstances would be quite contrary to the wishes of the overwhelming majority. Cumaratunga said that the electorate rejected the yahapalana lot at the much delayed Local Government polls in Feb 2018, then they suffered debilitating presidential election defeat last November and the general election too would prove to be another devastating experience for them. Therefore their clamour to put off the national poll, he said.
Yuthukama Chief recalled how Gotabaya Rajapaksa was nearly deprived of an opportunity to contest the last presidential election on the basis of their false claim he was not a Sri Lankan citizen. The US recently confirmed Gotabaya Rajapaksa in fact had renounced his US citizenship, Cumaratunga pointed out, declaring that the electorate would reiterate their faith in the government at the parliamentary polls.
Regardless of attempts to deceive the public, the vast majority appreciated the efforts made by the government to bring the situation under control, Cumaratunga said. The public compared how the UNP led government reacted after receiving specific intelligence warning of impending Thowheed Jamaat suicide attacks in April 2019 and incumbent government tackled the coronavirus threat.
Cumaratunga alleged that some members of the Opposition couldn’t stomach the government having brought the situation under control, when even most advanced countries, let alone our own neighbours, were still struggling to get a handle on it.
May 10th, 2020 at 4:19 pm
Bringing the country to a level that is suitable for holding elections should be a job for the government, her health ministry and the security services personnel. The job of the Election Commission should be only for the conduct of the elections. The obvious biases of the current Election Commission are there for the nation to see now before their eyes.
The only elected Government Official at the moment who represent the people is the President and his cabinet. The Election Commission is not an elected body, but a few personnel put in place by the Constitutional Council. The Constitutional Council, most of whom are those appointed by a highly distorted parliament where the leader of the opposition was a member of a minority party who never represented the opposition in any sense of the word and the Chairman of the Council the now infamous former speaker of the Parliament – Kaluwara Jayasuriya.
When the day for holding the elections has been announced by the President it should go ahead accordingly. It is up to the President to take any flak coming out of holding the election if it was announced conducted inappropriately. The job of the Election Commission is only to see that a democratic and transparent election is held. Whether it is appropriate or not, whether it is safe healthwise or not should be a deliberation that the government must make.
The fact remains that there should be elections to elect a new parliament for the machinery of the government function properly. Bringing back a parliament whose majority has been thrice rejected by the people is not the answer to the current imbroglio and impasse!
May the wiser counsel prevail! Victory to the people!