In Putin's Oversized Shoes Would or Could Ranil Walk Straight ?

Kusal Perera for Salem-News.com

Sri Lanka needs an alternate political leadership with a democratic, secular programme.

Ranil Wickramasinghe and Majinda Rajapakse

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Samakaalam) - This was the crowning joke. Sajith Premadasa staked claim for the presidency of Sri Lanka at the annual conference of the UNP on 01st December. Though completely routed, he said he would contest the next presidential elections as the UNP candidate, IF Ranil Wickramasinghe would not. His was an impotent bid to pre empt any attempt at UNP compromising on a "common candidate" as at the last presidential elections and also, in any one else from the UNP coming in, to substitute Wickramasinghe.

The next presidential elections is almost 03 years from now and have little importance for the people. What is important is the role the UNP would play on its new “Radical Programme” with an “undisputed” leader, during the next 06 years. Two constitutional amendments, one to the Constitution of Sri Lanka as the 18th Amendment and the other to the Constitution of the UNP on a resolution adopted at the special conference, gave extended life to both the President and the Leader of the Opposition. How democratic are such moves, though adopted with a two thirds majority in parliament and an overwhelming 4,640 majority votes at the party special conference ? Manipulated majorities they were. Whether in parliament or in an organisation, they are neither democratic, nor politically valid.

This country is going through a post war socio economic and political turmoil and needs an alternate leadership on a democratic political platform, to get out of that crisis. The war, hyped with a Sinhala racist frenzy in eliminating the LTTE as a “separatist terrorist” group, helped this family regime to usurp unlimited power, that now contradicts constitutional governance, through Executive Presidency. The parliament as the legislature, functions only as a subordinate forum, dictated by the President and compromised by the Opposition Leader. With a heinously corrupt regime, the society runs without law and order. Political elites are publicly accused criminals and fraudsters. The two most important, apex positions in the economic life of the country is allowed to be in the hands of two fraudsters, proved and not too difficult to be proved. The not so independent, but inept judiciary is being publicly humiliated by the regime, to be brought under the heels of an all powerful ruling elite. Post war “democracy” is dominated by the defence establishment that now pre decides policy over the legislature. It is declining, degrading Sinhala politics that has to take total blame for the chaos that is setting in, but looks for excuses in “international conspiracies” and possible “LTTE terrorist rumps” remaining in the Diaspora.

In such fragile and fast degenerating social life pushed into new conflicts, Sri Lanka needs an alternate political leadership with a democratic, secular programme. One, that on the first count would demilitarise and democratise all State agencies and public life and immediately move to honour the long neglected political aspirations of the Tamil society. Without such a democratic, secular programme that could de construct polarisation in society, the Sinhala society on its own, would not have any democratic life.                Read Full Article