Letters to the Editor
View(s):Executive Presidency: How long can we continue with this system?
He made all those in the Cabinet sign undated resignation letters. All barring Gamini Jayasuriya who left the government gave in. JR made historical mistakes like allowing the 1983 communal riots to get out of hand; signing the Peace-Accord with Rajiv Gandhi and imposing the irrelevant ‘white elephants’ of Provincial Councils on the country, the reckless preferential voting system, creating the frog-jumping, side-changing MPs etc. We as a consequence are still reaping the sour yields.
How long can we stomach this Constitution that is corroding and obliterating our country from within? As a result of the Executive Presidency the country is infested with the bug of nepotism which is at the highest ebb. All politicians are ladling out goodies and jobs to their own. Most politicians are fully committed to establishing their dynasties, even members at Pradeshiya Sabha level.
Who could be trusted with the EP? Everybody wants it to be abolished. But whom can we rely on to do it? We, the people, must make up our minds soon about who is reliable, who is honest and who will be able to resist the temptation to grasp and keep the EP for one’s own benefit. On the one hand the EP must be abolished; all agree and nobody will hesitate to agree to it. On the other hand will we need the powers of the EP to curb the underworld? Could a parliament of gentlemen put the underworld where it belongs to given that all the armed forces, the police, the judiciary and the administration are so weakened? Do we need the EP for a short while to clean up the legislative and administrative sectors of the country?
I am of the opinion, that a truly upright person must be chosen who has an authoritarian and sturdy individuality with the familiarity of getting almost unfeasible things done in very difficult circumstances. While the Constitutional Council is at work drawing up a draft of a new Constitution for the country that will abolish the EP and bring back the independent commissions, he must clean up the country. All stolen wealth of the country must be recovered from all over the world. After getting expert advice he must call a cessation on the grand scale infrastructure development like roads, harbours, airports etc. and save the country from drought by undertaking the massive national programme of repairing, rehabilitating and de-silting of all the big and small tanks in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Retain all the water from rain to flow down to the dry zone. Making the country self sufficient in rice must be one of his priorities. The staples, rice, fish, milk and vegetables must be available to all even the poorest person in the country.
The rest like the national education policies that will safeguard and enhance free education, a tamper proof and unadulterated national policy on medical drugs that will protect the free health system in the country and cleaning up the Treasury can be brought about after the abolishing of the EP. Of course, the parliamentary elections need to be held like in the good old days with the winner being the first past the post, with MPs who are responsible to the people who voted for them.
There are two things he cannot afford to forget or neglect when handing over his nomination papers, a public declaration of his assets and a solemn oath to abolish the Executive Presidency in one year.
Sunil Thenabadu Via email
Stop this commercialisation of peaceful residential areas
The residential areas of Thalawatugoda and Pita-Kotte used to be quiet and peaceful. Residents had a beautiful, trouble-free haven to live in, and most were hard working professionals helping the economy and giving jobs to hundreds of people, owning and running estates, factories, businesses and most importantly, paying taxes to the Government.
But now, commercial activity is creeping into residential areas, and restaurants, buildings conducting tuition classes, mobile vendors, etc., are establishing their businesses right in the middle of these quiet areas, sometimes right on the boundaries of houses. How disgusting! These activities damage the peace of the neighbourhood and destroy the privacy of home life.
Is it not time to prevent people engaging in these types of activities in residential areas? Activities of this nature should be located away from the boundaries of residential areas so that the people living in these will not be inconvenienced.
These buildings, etc., appearing out of nowhere next to homes, and the vehicles parked on either side of main roads, down the lanes and in front of homes, even on private lanes, cause much nuisance and irritability on a daily basis. Is this development? Is it good for our health? Is it correct to allow these activities to expand with complete disregard for home owners in the vicinity? The authorities responsible must do something about this growing nuisance.
We need concerned people at the Urban Development Authority, local authorities and municipalities to facilitate peaceful living areas.
Why is it that the authorities are not checking and taking steps to maintain residential areas without allowing them to become commercialised? Stern action must also be taken against people who go about in posh cars and throw their garbage bags on the roadside or put them into the drains on the roads, and who do not keep their premises or gardens clean which make them a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Our attitude as Sri Lankans must definitely change and the media have to seriously assist in this important task to educate the public, to make Sri Lanka a paradise in every sense of the word.
A peace-loving citizen Via email
Gone are the days when victory and defeat were accepted in the same spirit
As a housewife I love reading the Sunday Business Times and my favourite column is ‘Kussi Amma Sera’. Reading last Sunday’s column titled ‘Winning at all costs’ brought to my mind a beautiful poem that the Irish nuns taught us to sing at every sportsmeet at the Kandy Convent almost 60 years ago.
The first verse is as follows:
Dear Lord, the battle that goes on through life
I ask but a field that is fair
A chance that is equal with all in the strife,
A courage to strive and to dare.
If I should win, let it be by the code
With my faith and honour held high
And if I should lose, let me stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.”
A few years ago, the entire poem appeared in a newspaper with the story behind it. I kept the copy as it brings back fond memories of my schooldays.
Whether it be sports, education or politics, violence is now the order of the day.
I can’t imagine any of our politicians standing by the road and “cheering as the winners go by”. They do not know how to accept victory and defeat in the same spirit; then how can we teach our children?
Valerie Y. Davidson Mount Lavinia
Once there were politicians like N.M. Perera
I thought of writing a few words in connection with my experience with a veteran politician, an ex-minister of finance and a true leftist, Dr.N.M. Perera,during the early 1970s while I was Finance Officer /Western region of the Peoples’ Bank.
On a request made by NM,as the FM in Ms. Sirima Bandaranaike’s government, the then GM/ Peoples Bank, Donald Kannangara, appointed me, as recommended by the then AGM, S.Gunatillaka, to oversee the financial involvements in his electorate i.e. Yatiyantota. That was because he was not happy over the borrowings and spendings of funds in certain organisations like,the MPCS. JEDB and the LRC etc within his electorate.
I had to visit his house in Yatiyantota every Sunday to brief him on the progress. Once the JEDB advertised for an estate superintendent for one of the estates there and the Interview Board consisted of the undersigned,GM/JEDB and AGA. After having conducted the interviews we shortlisted some applicants and sought the approval of the Minister.
While discussing the applicants one by one, we saw that the first applicant had produced a letter from the then Minister of Education.P.B.G.Kalugalle and when mentioned that he was not suitable, NM turned it down. The second applicant had a letter from the PM and after discussions he rejected him as the applicant was not suitable. While the third applicant was under discussion we mentioned that he had presented a letter from the Finance Minister himself,but when he too was found unsuitable, NM said ‘throw it away’. And we appointed the most suitable applicant with no recommendations from any politician.
I am quoting this incident to show how the Minister acted impartially in selecting an officer, because he wanted the best for his electorate.
He was a great man, very straightforward with simple and good qualities compared to today’s politicians.
Mahinda Wimalasena Kiribathgoda
The President can still have a second chance!
No doubt there is corruption and an overload of politicians today just like the last regime in spite of the present President’s election promise. However there is much more freedom and safety and lack of fear of white vans, unsolved murders and justice.
It is true that the present President didn’t deliver as much as was expected, but it is not too late. He still has a trump card to gain a place written in Sri Lankan history in golden letters.
If only he lets go the tiger’s tail of trying to salvage the SLFP and concentrates on his sole job, being a President and – abolishes the Executive Presidency during his tenure, certainly he would have done the best for the country. Every president (including the present one) after JR, came to power on the promise of abolishing the executive presidency but always greed and hunger for power got the better of them.
If only the present President will abolish it during his tenure, or at least clip most of the President’s powers which are detrimental to the country, certainly even if he does not come to power the next time, he would have saved the country and even himself. Of course the technical details of his survival will have to be worked out, but that move can give him quite a place in the hearts of the people, and who knows, even a second chance to fulfil his promises to the citizens.
Will he?
Dr. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela
I beg to differ on smoking and cancer
I am a regular reader of Don Manu’s column ‘Sunday Punch’. Not only do I like his content and style, I often find myself in agreement with many of the views he expresses..
However, I must take issue with his assertion “Even though there is still no scientific medical evidence that cigarette smoking causes cancer or is directly linked to heart attacks….” (Sunday Times of July 1).
From the landmark study by Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill from Oxford (‘Smoking and carcinoma of the lung’ published in the British Medical Journal in September 1950) there have been innumerable valid research studies that have confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that cigarette smoking is directly linked to cancer (of the lungs, mouth and bladder etc) and also to coronary artery disease and heart attacks.
Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha Via email