A chance to oust govt.?

Editorial-May 29, 2014

Some Opposition parties are making frantic efforts to find a common candidate to vie with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the next presidential election expected early next year. The UNP is planning to launch street protests in a few months as part of its strategy to topple the government. But, why should the Opposition big guns expend their time and energy and, above all, brave bullets, truncheons and water cannon to achieve that goal? They are in a position to try to dislodge the government without much hassle.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered to resign!

Yes, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena tells us that the President has expressed his willingness to relinquish office if Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe could prove the UNP’s much-publicised allegation that the government has entered into an agreement with the IMF to abolish free education.

Yesterday, we argued that if the Opposition Leader could prove that he was telling the truth as regards the alleged pacts, he did not have to exert himself to oust the Rajapaksas because the people would take to the streets and bring down the government. But, according to what the Education Minister tells us, quoting the President the Opposition does not have to depend on popular support to capture power!

Now, all that the Opposition desirous of seeing the back of their bete noire, President Rajapaksa, should do is to throw its weight behind the UNP National Leader Wickremesinghe and urge him to take up the president’s challenge and prove his allegations.

The President, according to the Education Minister, wants the allegations in question proved at a special media conference. But, we think Parliament is the best place for that purpose. Let there be a special parliamentary debate on the issue with the President also present in the House. A live telecast of the proceedings, for which facilities are now available, will help the public to know who is telling the truth.

We are living in a country where not even a PS member steps down. One may, therefore, argue that the President’s offer to resign should not be taken seriously. (He even undertook to scrap the executive presidency, didn’t he?) However, let’s look at this hypothetical situation which is of interest. If the Opposition Leader could cause the President to resign by any chance, then according to Article 40 of the Constitution, Parliament shall elect as President one of its members qualified to be elected to the office of President for the unexpired period of the term of the President who vacates office in no later than one month from the occurrence of the vacancy concerned. Until such time the Prime Minister shall act as President.

The UNP tells us that dozens of disgruntled government MPs are willing to switch their allegiance to it at a crucial juncture. So, in case of the President’s resignation, the Opposition should be able to have one of its MPs—maybe the Opposition Leader himself—elected as President with the help of the government members it is claimed to have cultivated, and use that opportunity to abolish the executive presidency posthaste.

Here is a situation which has presented the Opposition with a chance to oust the president without elections or protests. There is said to be a tide in the affairs of men and now the onus is on the Opposition Leader to take it at the flood and ensure that it leads on to fortune.

But, what if the Opposition Leader fails to prove his allegations after making such a hullabaloo about government moves to do away with free education?