Republican Constitution And Executive Presidency: Review, Revise And Retain
By Rajasingham Narendran -August 9, 2014
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
The Executive Presidency instituted through the 1978 republican constitutionand subsequently amended eighteen times (are there a few more on line?) has to be faulted for myriad failures in Sri Lanka’s democracy and governance. The Executive Presidency of Sri Lanka is a badly designed institution within a badly designed and subsequently further distorted constitution. It is probably the strongest office in the world! The constitution of 1978 was designed to bestow unbridled power on one man- Junius Richard Jayewardene- to do everything but change a man into a women and vice versa, and ensure permanent governance by the UNP. JRJ was an insecure and unprincipled man, and a dictator by nature. In the process all other institutions , the parliament, judiciary and public services, were deformed beyond recognition and made subservient to the Executive Presidency. Accountability, rule of law and everything else that defines good governance had been comatose, even before the election of the current president. The impunity bestowed on the Executive Presidency, has reached and polluted every mound and crevice in Sri Lanka. Democracy has become a sham as a result. Governance is no doubt at its poorest.
A nation that had universal franchise 83 years (1931) back- much before other British colonies in Asia- and had a vibrant democracy at independence (1948), has since the 1978 constitution, sold the sovereignty of its people to elected tin pot dictators. The 18th amendment introduced by Mahendra Percy Rajapaksa-a power hungry, pompous and unprincipled person- and his absolute disregard for constitutional norms, principles of governance even as laid down and ethics have dealt a death blow to our democracy. He is a small man gifted with oversize shoes, which he enlarged further. He has stumbled badly as a result.
The questions we have to ask are:
- Is the concept of a Republican Constitution wrong or is OUR republican constitution deliberately designed wrong?
- Is the concept of an Executive Presidency wrong or is OUR executive presidency deliberately designed wrong? Read More
