• Cometh the hour

• The strategic implications of the TNA’s decision to field aformer judge of the Supreme Court as its chief ministerial candidate in the north overlooking a local grassroots politico speaks volumes for the party’s attempt to achieve political maturity. Given Justice Wigneswaran’s strong positions on the independence of the Judiciary, the choice is also a poignant comment on the state of the country’s judicial system. If played out correctly, could his candidacy also meanprogress on the issue of national reconciliation?

Seven months after the unceremonious sacking of the country’s 43rd Chief Justice, another former Supreme Court Justice assumes political centre stage following a decision by the country’s main Tamil party to field a highly respected jurist and intellectual, native to the Jaffna District as its choice for the first-ever chief minister of the Northern Province at the forthcoming provincial poll.

Former Justice of the country’s highest court, C.V. Wigneswaran, renowned for his courageous positions both on and off the bench, enters the political fray at a crucial juncture. His candidacy will bring to the fore not only the fundamental issues pertaining to national reconciliation and the Tamil struggle for political autonomy at a decisive point in Sri Lanka’s history, it will also elevate the debate about the systematic collapse of the country’s judicial system, a deterioration Justice Wigneswaran warned of on his last day on the bench of the Supreme Court in 2004.

Cometh the Hour by nelvely