{"id":40491,"date":"2015-04-11T16:33:24","date_gmt":"2015-04-11T20:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=40491"},"modified":"2015-04-11T16:33:24","modified_gmt":"2015-04-11T20:33:24","slug":"mahinda-rajapaksa-must-be-laughing-his-sides-out-as-sirisena-reduces-presidency-to-a-scarecrow-pelted-with-stones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=40491","title":{"rendered":"Mahinda Rajapaksa Must Be Laughing his Sides out as Sirisena Reduces Presidency to a Scarecrow Pelted with Stones."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gomin Dayasri<\/strong><\/p>\n

J.R.Jayewardene will heave a sigh of relief and break into a wry smile if he finds his constitution is dislodged. As it is, he may have to live with it in a life after death.<\/p>\n

Those with wafer thin majorities exploited the 1978 Constitution to the maximum that Jayewardene set for himself with a five sixth majority in Parliament. Unelected Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe (Is the halfway mark a bridge too far for him to reach?) is aiming to ditch a constitution his kinsman baked and over-iced to make it look fancy. Is a caretaker trying to become the master of a mansion, having crept in through the backdoor while JR rests in peace, seeking to get rid of his baggage? Alas, Ranil and Sirisena await a whopping whipping by the next generation for their amateurish work on a constitution entrusted to a few unskilled hands.<\/p>\n

Mahinda Rajapaksa must be laughing his sides out. The Executive Presidency was on parade when Sirisena took oaths as a Peoples\u2019 President and since reduced it to a scary scarecrow often pelted with stones. Will this make Rajapaksa do a run-Mahinda-run in search of pebbles to throw at his detractors?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Constitutionally the man, who won the presidential election may have to play second fiddle to the man who lost. Gravestone of the constitution \u201878 will carry the epithet: “A President took his life under the helpful watch of a Prime Minister who encouraged him to extinguish himself.”<\/p>\n

The impediment Rajapaksa carries is the horror stories originating from his family chronicle sufficient to disqualify a candidate. If the naval episode of the son is bad, the aviation tale of his brother-in-law is worse – both under his watch. Is the hero of 2009 the villain of 2015? A victory that went to the head led to his undoing, as he fashioned it wrong. Supreme victory in 2010 was the undoing in 2015. Understandably people voted him out; was it to make a comeback triumphant or ensure eternal rest in the backwoods? Yearning for him is deep as the successors are more of a hindrance than a help.<\/p>\n

Makes Rajapaksa\u2019s \u2018fourth-coming\u2019 attractive with the office of the PM attempted in an amended version being superior to that of President under an earlier edition. More benefits with fewer liabilities accrue to the Prime Minister under a new constitution with a reversion to collective responsibility that spreads the fault element among cabinet colleagues.<\/p>\n

If Mahinda returns, are we to witness the re-emergence of persons under investigation from the Central Bank to Sri Lankan Airlines and from there to former envoys in the embassies abroad bunched together as in the wicked old days in a cuddly cockpit? Voting for recurrence means endorsing corruption\u2013 be honest with yourself for the sake of the country.<\/p>\n

Mahinda Rajapaksa will sure run for the enhanced office of PM \u2013 so unlike in the time he was an insipid PM and was called a reporter by Chandrika and held an office which Premadasa saw as less than a peon\u2019s? Sirisena needs to flee into the arms of Ranil and ensure he remains Prime Minister; otherwise Sirisena could be chained to a kennel under the 19th amendment.<\/p>\n

The judiciary by choosing to tango with Presidents \u2013 especially Chandrika and Mahinda, distorted the 1978 Constitution.<\/p>\n

Judges became slaughtered lambs of politicians and issued licenses for MPs to cross party lines that were strictly prohibited in the constitution. Not by one, not by many, but by a few during a queer judicial epoch of you know who?<\/p>\n

Being vested with the right to interpret the constitution they made a carriageway permitting traffic to cross party lines in parliament. There lies a cause for the downfall of a nation.<\/p>\n

This speaks sufficiently for a judiciary that comes out heroically in calling for a referendum on the 19th amendment. Chief Justice Siripavan is a welcome change to a mould that made Mohan Pieris, Shirani Bandaranayake, Asoka Silva and Sarath Silva. Sometimes you need just one brave man to show the way – others obediently take the same route. Indeed a sunshine story amidst the prevailing gloom.<\/p>\n

The patchwork constitution is not a home for a government that finds it as difficult to function as when it was in the opposition; and now being compelled to govern, does it no differently as when in the opposition. Its lifetime might be restricted to around 100 days- being merciful to our countrymen.<\/p>\n

JR knew presidential and general elections were due six years from 1977. He held an illegal referendum instead of a general election to cling on to his five sixths majority hold on parliament and then held a mock presidential election where even his opponent Kobbekaduwa\u2019s vote was impersonated! Indeed a dark period in the annals of the franchise when NGOs made no noise except for a shriek heard from Amnesty International. NGOs have suddenly gone dumb and Friday Forum opens out rarely to talk of the past more than of the present. Naturally their head boys are gainfully employed otherwise.<\/p>\n

Under the presidential election voting pattern, the worth of the vote is equally factored, whether exercised in Point Pedro or Devinuwara, in reaching the required winning number of over 50% of the total polled. It enables the minorities to make a call at the presidential election – proved beyond doubt when Sirisena won the presidential election comfortably by sweeping the North after losing the South by a considerable margin. It makes the President deferentially obliged to the Northern voters. If the President\u2019s wings are clipped the vote is registered for a man of straw. Therefore the19th amendment, which overhauls the constitution, weakens the minorities who are unable to influence a President by their loyalty vote.<\/p>\n

In stripping the President of his powerhouse, the main support thrust for the amendment came from the TNA lawyer cum MP Sumanthiran when the 19th amendment was taken for argument in the Supreme Court. Was he in the draftsmen\u2019s pool?<\/p>\n

JR\u2019s vision in setting the \u201978 Constitution was to govern, holding the office of President with the help of the minorities and keep the parliament in check by prohibiting MP\u2019s from switching sides and reaching a majority through defection; a selfish exercise that Wickremesinghe is now bent on correcting. Is the TNA voting for it blindfolded? No, they are thinking of a step beyond the present.<\/p>\n

No doubt TNA prefers the emergence of a weak President enabling them to usher the 13th amendment under a Modi Plan and unite the North and East. They see the difference in the role models between J.R. Jayewardene with a five sixth majority in Parliament succumbing to terrorism and Mahinda Rajapaksa, who on becoming the president with a slim majority, eradicating terrorism within four years and strengthening his grip on parliament. The TNA has made up its mind- Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s superman image should never again be duplicated. It should be expunged from the constitution. Liquidating Jack to live with Jill can be a gamble for the TNA.<\/p>\n

The architects of the 19th amendment desire to take Sri Lanka on the same journey as when N.M. Perera of the LS.S.P held hands with J.R. Jayewardene of the UNP that led to the 1977 UNP administration. This left\/right combination unwittingly brought forth the 1978 constitution that was too late for Dr Colvin R de Silva (of the L.S.S.P) to de-fang , being ousted from Parliament. The 1978 constitution irrespective of its infirmities is a work of art compared to the crude workmanship by the artisans of the present constitution. Do we see the paw marks of LSSP rebels in this draft too?<\/p>\n

We are in an era of fledgling governments of limited duration made more prolific by an intended constitution: still it does not hurt much as Sirisena and Wickremesinghe are assured of a long life as their guardian deities, USA and India, will protect them from impending evils.<\/p>\n

Yet the will of the people can overcome all other competing sources if the South without getting fragmented, stands together and elects a leader and a party that sits on its own and governs.<\/p>\n

Recent events showcase the deficiencies of a coalition – it leads to shadow boxing among sparring partners. People won\u2019t tolerate nonsense for too long. Rajapaksa learnt it the hard way and to come back is not easy. Goofy successors do make the impossible a possible.<\/p>\n

Face it – we are in a right royal mess. Yet Sri Lanka has come out smelling of roses from a worse mess as when terrorism held sway. The next election will aggravate the existing muddle some more.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:Sunday Island<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Gomin Dayasri J.R.Jayewardene will heave a sigh of relief and break into a wry smile if he finds his constitution is dislodged. As it is, he may have to live with it in a life after death. Those with wafer thin majorities exploited the 1978 Constitution to the maximum that Jayewardene set for himself …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Must Be Laughing his Sides out as Sirisena Reduces Presidency to a Scarecrow Pelted with Stones.’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40491"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40492,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40491\/revisions\/40492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}