Sirisena Must Avoid Mixed Signals
Prof. Kumar David
After I dispatched this article I received Maithripala Sirisena’s Election Manifesto. I was shocked and then Dr Jayampathy Wickremaratne was kind enough to provide a more exact English translation of the Sinhala original. His translation of the relevant portion follows:
“In place of the executive presidency with arbitrary powers, a constitutional structure with an executive tied to Parliament through a Cabinet of Ministers will be established”.
This is TREACHERY! It goes back on all the sacred promises Sirisena made to the nation only four weeks ago that the Executive Presidency would be ABOLISHED. I have issued a brief statement on the matter which appears elsewhere.
In last week’s column, I made the following comment (abridged): “There is alarm in the minority communities of an alleged Maithri-JHU anti Tamil-Muslim alliance which could be a threat to them and to 13A. This is endangering 18% of the vote (Ceylon Tamils and Muslims; 24% if you count Upcountry Tamils)), but what for? The JHU can pull hardly 3% of the ultra-chauvinist vote away from Mahinda”. This was in response to panic buttons that many Tamils both at home and the diaspora had pressed in e-mails and conversations with me. [I do not use the diminutive My3 any longer as a reader found it offensive].
To retain perspective and restrain panic I balanced it with a more reassuring take on the scene after regime change: “The state will remain unitary; there will be no further devolution (that is no 13A+). But 13A may be more genuinely implemented. (Ranil and CBK are liberals; that helps). Wigneswaran and the NPC will have a freer hand, cussed obstacles put in his way by Rajapaksa will ease, and there could be some reduction in militarization”. This remark assumes regime change, which though desirable I have always cautioned, is by no means still certain. While there seems to be a landslide against Rajapaksa in city and urban areas and in minority communities, rural trends have still to crystallise. There are complaints that the UNP campaign is top-heavy and neglects grassroots organisation. Forecasters should not make the mistake they made with Sarath Fonseka four years ago! With these few words I leave the question of predictions to one side; the subject is not my forte.Read More