By M  D  P DISSANAYAKE

The Election Commission was back to the wall after the Supreme Court decision.   No doubt its members were disappointed.   Now the EC is ostensibly trying to curry favour the  President.  

The Health Department Guidelines on the Covid19 to hold the elections were discussed at length and agreed.  The Covid 19 guidelines  in  a country faced with a pandemic  will  not be an  ever lasting solution. For example, the State of Melbourne,   which was performing well  3 weeks ago, is now under the spot light.   This could happen in  Sri Lanka as well.

The   EC would  prefer the escalation of Covid19 within next 40 days.  Therefore,  it is now finding ways and means of exposing the President by virtually forcing  him to make directives  that will help their aims.

Last time, the EC has asked the President to seek the Supreme Court determinations  on the recalling of the defunct Parliament.   That was none of their business.  The President asked them to MYOB (mind your own business).

Now they are requesting  the President to  issue a Gazettte  in respect of the Health Guidelines  issued by the Department of Health in respect of the General Election.   

If a Gazette is issued as per existing  guidelines, then due to unforeseen circumstances  where  situation  change for better or worse, the EC will request to amend the Gazette.

For example, some  political parties are demanding to increase the number of participants in political gatherings from 100 to 500.   The EC commission is more than  likely to endorse the request, but will announce that the Gazette must be amended   to increase  the maximum stipulation from 100 to 500.  This will be a never ending saga of amending Gazettes, similar to actions of former President Maithreepala Sirisena.

The  President has already thrown the  previous request of the EC to seek Supreme Court determination to WPB (waste paper basket). 

JUST AS MUCH AS EC is trying to make the job difficult for the President, the President  need  to keep the untrustworthy institutions and its personnel in the right place.