Response To Nimalka: Can A Monk Be Secular And Non Sinhala?” Of Course He Can
By Kumar David -
Abolishing the Executive Presidency
“Single-Issue” challenge and challengers
Prof. Kumar David
The debate on a single-issue challenge to incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse at the next opportunity and identifying the most suitable challenger has picked up steam in recent weeks. I mooted the idea in Colombo Telegraph (“Can Sobitha pull off victory where Fonseka flunked?”) on 26 August.
There has been a plethora of comment and criticism, but unfortunately much that appeared on the web has been personal abuse, however a few are worth consideration. The best response has been from Nimalka Fernando who has made a reasoned and sustained rejection of my proposal. See Response To Kumar David: Can A Buddhist Monk Be Secular And Non Sinhala?
I think Nimalka is quite wrong on all the major points, nevertheless I am grateful she raised so many and provided me with an opportunity for rebuttal. Indeed people are mulling over issues in these early days and it is right to take up and debate every aspect. This is a response to Nimalka and note to a “Loka Vikalavaye” who commented on the web below Nimalka’s piece. Let me first dispose of LV who accepts the single-issue concept but proposes that correcting the foreign policy stance from excessive alignment with China to a friendly orientation to the West should be the issue. Foreign policy course correction is desirable, but it will not mobilise as broad a base as a call to abolish the Executive Presidency (EP). The horrible consequences of the EP and the degeneration it has brought into society are a far more serious concern than foreign policy.
