"We have no permanent friends. We have no permanent enemies. We just have permanent interests," Benjamin Disraeli, one time British Prime Minister said, wisely of politicians.
The permanent interests of Sri Lankan politicians have been largely self serving, driven less by love for country and more by greed to stay in power or to find shortcuts to achieving high political office. In this pursuit, they have forged the most unlikely alliances and compromised on principles.
The latest alliance in the making now seems to be between the United National Party (UNP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), something that seemed impossible a few years ago but looks a very real probability in the future.
Many will wonder how the UNP and the JVP can find common ground, but last week in Parliament the UNP joined the JVP in extending its support to the government to get the two-thirds majority required to make the necessary constitutional amendments to abolish the executive presidency. What is surprising is that their common goal is aimed at ridding the country of the executive presidency, the brainchild of the country’s first executive president J.R.Jayewardene of the UNP.
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| Mr.Range Bandara: The poster he wore agitated the Govt. MPs |
There seemed to be real concern on the part of the JVP about the manner in which executive powers were being used in an undemocratic manner by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose election to the post was staunchly backed by the JVP in 2005.
JVP Gampaha District MP Vijitah Herath who introduced the adjournment motion calling for the abolition of the presidency referred to the Mahinda Chinthana, President Rajapaksa’s election manifesto, where he promised to abolish the executive presidency and pending which he would present a constitutional amendment through which he would be made “answerable to Parliament.” But four years after being elected to office, there has been no move in this direction by the President nor has he kept his promise to attend the Legislature once a month to “endorse the responsibility that the President has to Parliament.”
“The executive powers are being used in a disgraceful manner with disregard to even rulings of the Supreme Court. The President has failed to appoint the Independent Commissions, he has reinstated P.B.Jayasundera who was found guilty by the Supreme Court and he has changed the laws to accommodate his nephew as the Uva Chief Minister ,” MP Herath charged.
Ironically, he used a significant part of his speech to recall the manner in which the UNP used executive power to its advantage under J.R.Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa.Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera who seconded the motion chose to ignore the allegations directed at his Party and instead chose to point the finger only at incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But surprisingly he backed the motion to abolish the executive presidency and instead create the post of an executive Prime Minister who would be answerable to parliament. “We will give the necessary 2/3rd support to the government but the government must bring the necessary amendments without holding another presidential election,” the Opposition Whip said.
The reality is that every executive president starting from President Jayewardene used the all powerful executive to their advantage, largely driven by self interests. President Jayewardene held a referendum to extend the term of Parliament in 1982 to make sure he did not lose the 2/3rd majority he had in Parliament. Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa and Chandrika Kumaratunga both used executive powers to prorogue Parliament at crucial times, the former to buy time to sabotage an impeachment motion against him in the Legislature and the latter to stave off certain defeat at a no confidence motion against her government in 2001.
Maybe the only one who cannot be accused of using or misusing the executive powers excessively was President D.B.Wijetunga during his brief tenure as President. He probably may not have had enough time to master the art of doing so.
Which is probably why Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka accused the UNP and JVP of “political opportunism” aimed at paving the way for future political alliances between the two” to field a common candidate at a future presidential election .”
“When the JVP was in the probationary government of Chandrika Kumaratunga, they pushed her to sack the UNP government by urging her to use her executive powers in the “proper manner.” Then they had no qualms about abusing executive powers,” he charged.
Another government minister Mervyn Silva saw the joint effort of the UNP and JVP in a different light. “If the present incumbent of President’s House had come from Colombo 7 or Colombo 3, there would have been no opposition to him. Because the President comes from the village, they are conspiring against him,” he charged.
However, the real drama in Parliament was enacted on Tuesday when UNP Puttalam district MP Palitha Range Bandara brought a banner with the words--“Sri Lanka – Democracy at work” depicting a photograph of his burnt office and house --into the Chambers and draped it in front of his table.
The sight of the banner caused anger among government members who asked Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara to have it removed. Proceedings had to be suspended twice before there was agreement on the removal of the banner. But not to be outdone, Mr.Bandara wrapped the banner around himself and made a statement to parliament saying Police had failed to take any action against the culprits although he had identified most of them.
But before he made his statement, Minister Mervyn Silva did his bit by walking into the Chamber in a white cloth wrapped around him to protest at the Speaker’s inability to get MP Bandara to remove the banner.
All this in what is known as the August assembly.
Highlights of key speeches made in Parliament this week
Govt. committed to welfare of IDPs: Rohitha - Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama making a statement on the IDPs
October 21: The issue of Identity Cards to more than 160,000 persons and the completion of registration of all IDPs over 12 years of age had taken place. The Government is confident that the targets set for clearance of 58,000 by the end of October for settlement would be met.
Notable progress has been made in the health sector with the reduction of annual mortality rates to only 4.4 per 1000 in the welfare centres in Vavuniya. This figure is compatible with that of any other part in the country and symbolizes the significant achievement in stabilization of the health facilities for the IDPs.
Almost 40,000 children were attending classes in welfare centres and the government facilitated 1,187 students to sit the GCE/Advanced Level examination in August this year. Of these, 166 were LTTE surendees. This clearly reflects the emphasis the Government places on the long-term welfare of the present IDPs.
The Government has disbursed large amount of funds to secure equipment for a speedier, mechanized, de-mining process which reflects the government’s commitment to de-mining and re-settlement. Certification by the UNHCR that the area is safe is a basic pre-requisite before any resettlement can take place in an area and the Government was strictly following this rule for the safety of the people.
We have also impressed on members of the international community the need to interdict anti-Sri Lanka activity by pro-LTTE groups which are inimical to Sri Lanka’s national interest. As much as calls are being made by the international community for reconciliation in Sri Lanka, the international community itself must desist from permitting, or turning a blind eye to continuing inimical action by pro-LTTE groups. Such inimical action will make the political process in Sri Lanka and national reconciliation much more difficult and complex
Lankan President enjoys more powers than US President: Vijitha - JVP frontliner Vijitha Herath moving an adjournment motion calling for the abolition of the Executive Presidency
October 22: A system of checks and balances is a necessity in any democracy but under the present Constitution, the President has absolute power. He is more powerful than even the President of the United States where he is answerable to Congress and can be charged in courts.
The claim that is being made that the war could not have been won without the executive presidency is a blatant lie. We know that when Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister, he had no executive power and he went ahead and signed the Ceasefire Agreement bypassing the President. Similarly it is possible to deal with the country’s problems without such powers.
Now that the war is over, the people of this country want to live freely. But to prop up one family, the people’s freedom is being curbed. This kind of power is good for an era when slavery was extant but not in a democratic society.
We are prepared to help the government to get the necessary two-thirds majority to abolish the executive presidency. If the government cannot do that, it can hold a referendum asking the people wkether they want to continue with this system or abolish it. We will work tirelessly in a democratic manner to have this system done away with.
Stop land grab in the east: Sampanthan - Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan moving an adjournment motion on illegal occupation of land in the east.
October 23: There is widespread unlawful occupation of state land by members of the majority community and this is being carried out with total impunity.
Strenuous efforts are being made by members of the majority community to evict members of the minority communities from lands and houses lawfully occupied by them.
Such unlawful activites are taking place in the Trincomalee District on both sides of the Trincomalee-Horowopothana Road, on both sides of the newly constructed Seruvila –Polonnaruwa Road, in several areas of the Trincomalee-Habarana Road and valuable land with beach frontage in the villages of Irakkanandy and Kumburupiddy in the Kuchchaveli division.
Similar illegal occupation pertaining to state land is taking place in other parts of the eastern province as well. The government must take action forthwith to stop all unlawful occupations of land and evict those who have done so.
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