(Text of Editorial Appearing in the “Daily Mirror”of January 16th 2013)

In the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s gravest constitutional, legal and political crises since independence, right-thinking people and especially judges and lawyers were wondering whether Sri Lanka could recover from a virtual death blow to the independence and dignity of the Judiciary amid speculation of Sri Lanka being suspended from the Commonwealth and facing other national and international repercussions.

Last Friday night the battle ended for the hired crowds, some of them bare-bodied thugs, who had gathered outside Parliament while the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was being debated. When the motion was passed, they celebrated with crackers and fireworks while another group of hired demonstrators with fake golden keys staged a demonstration outside Ms. Bandaranayake’s official residence. Ministers and MPs joined them for a ‘kiri bath’ and ‘kavum’ party after the impeachment motion was passed. These and other shocking and shameful scenes were part of one of the most tragic chapters in Sri Lanka’s history with the destiny and fate of our country at stake.

For the past three years, the Rajapaksa regime with a two-third majority in Parliament had created a situation where Parliament was seen by most people as more of a lapdog than a watchdog. It was twisted and turned to achieve the agendas of the regime and the devaluation often turned into degradation with some of the lawmakers sometimes becoming lawbreakers.

During the past two months after the impeachment motion was introduced, JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the way some members were behaving and what was happening reminded him more of the Peliyagoda fish market. One of the most shocking outbursts came from veteran socialist leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who for several decades had been widely respected for his policies and principles. But that reputation was in tatters on Friday when he told the Supreme Court “to go to hell”.

Only veteran Communist Party Leader D.E.W. Gunasekera stood out as a star on a dark night when he rowed against the tide and said his conscience did not allow him to vote for the impeachment motion. On Tuesday the Chief Justice left her official residence because she feared she could be attacked. She issued a stirring statement to the media saying she was still the Chief Justice because the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court had ruled that her impeachment was unconstitutional and illegal. She has been taking a courageous stand for more than two months in the face of mock trials, insults and defamation.

Most independent observers and analysts would agree that she should be given the award of being Sri Lanka’s most outstanding personality for 2012 and 2013. With former Attorney General Mohan Peiris till now a presidential adviser taking over yesterday as the new Chief Justice, Sri Lanka has now been plunged into a new constitutional crisis of having two CJs. Whatever eventually happens we need to remember that when the One Great Scorer comes to write against the names of those who are directly involved in this judicial battle, he will write not whether they won or lost but how they played the game. That is what will be recorded in history. COURTESY:DAILY MIRROR