Sobhitha Thera denies planning to contest 2016 presidential polls
April 15, 2013, 7:28 pm
By Ravi Ladduwahetty
Chief Incumbent of the Kotte Naga Viharaya Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera yesterday denied that he had plans to contest the next Presidential elections as the Opposition’s common candidate.
"I have no aspirations to contest the Presidential polls as a common candidate, but the movement that I head will choose a candidate in the event President Mahinda Rajapaksa does not abolish the Executive Presidency prior to the 2016 elections, "Ven. Sobhitha told The Island yesterday.
He said that one of the main planks of the Mahinda Chinthanaya manifesto was the abolition of the executive presidency, which had still not been done.
He added that both, Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa, had ridden to power on a mandate to abolish the executive presidency but having ensconced in power they had reneged on their promise.
While denying that he himself would come forward as the common candidate, the thera said that whoever was picked as the common candidate would have to pledge to abolish the executive presidency, activate the 17th amendment to the Constitution, which specified the implementation of the Independent Election Commission, Police Commission, Judicial Service Commission and the Public Service Commission, reintroduce the Westminster system of governance based on the first-past-the-post system, reduce the term of Parliament five years and restrict the member of Cabinet ministers to 25.
However, asked who was likely to be the common candidate for the 2016 Presidential polls, as President Rajapaksa was not likely to abolish the executive presidency, the Thera said that no decision had been taken as there was time.
Many have sought to draw parallels between Margaret Thatcher, one-time British Prime Minister who passed away last week, with her contemporary in politics, Sri Lanka’s first Executive President J.R. Jayewardene, better known as JR. While there are a few parallels, there are stark contrasts between the two.
Margaret Thatcher And JR: More Contrasts Than Parallels
Dr. W.A. Wijewardena
Many have sought to draw parallels between Margaret Thatcher, one-time British Prime Minister who passed away last week, with her contemporary in politics, Sri Lanka’s first Executive President J.R. Jayewardene, better known as JR. While there are a few parallels, there are stark contrasts between the two.
Parallels between Thatcher and JR
First, let’s turn to the parallels. Both are said to have left a legacy in their respective countries by changing the course of their future destiny. That change though necessary at the time they introduced it, has not been appreciated by many even when they were in power. Both of them became heads of state after being in politics for many decades. Both headed two rightist parties that had faith in the private sector.
At the time they became heads of state, their respective countries had undergone a disappointing experiment of socialism with an expanded public sector, untenable government budgets, slow economic growth, high unemployment and high inflation. In the UK, inflation had been at around 20% per annum, while in Sri Lanka, though the price index did not show it because of controlled prices, it would have been around that level or even higher when one adds the costs of the black markets, queues and rationing systems to the prevailing controlled prices. Thus, they were compelled by the circumstances of the day to introduce the changes which they did.
Both tamed the trade union militancy which had become a nuisance. They both faced the worst episode of terrorism in the history of their respective countries obstructing the growth oriented strategies they had put into practice.
But the contrasts between the two leaders have been many.
But the contrasts between the two leaders have been many.
The first contrast relates to the economic ideology they had believed.
