Emergent rule of law paradoxes of the Sirisena presidency

by Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena
Courtesy: The Sunday Times, Colombo

( February 15, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Undoubtedly there is a palpable sense of discomfort in the air.

Much like the curate’s egg

For close to a decade, the gross capture of state power, gathering of immeasurable wealth and discarding of civil liberties by the Rajapaksa Presidency and its acolytes put Sri Lanka under extraordinary strain.

We see unpleasant and worrying paradoxes where observance of the Rule of Law is concerned at other levels. The President’s calling out of the armed forces to exercise police powers under the Public Security Ordinance (PSO) is another case in point.

Emergent Rule of Law Paradoxes of the Sirisena Presidency by Thavam Ratna