19A – A Healthy Tonic To The Democracy
By Varatharaja Perumal -March 16, 2015
Varatharaja Perumal
The Proposed 19th Amendment (19A), despite its being deemed a cyanide to wipe out Monarchic Authoritarianism and Naxist Patriotism, is a medical tonic essential for restoration of and advance further the health of democracy in and preservation of true unity of Sri Lanka.
My humble submission here is to strengthen it properly.
In the last Presidential election people did not elect a President to rule with the executive presidency but mandated for implementing the 100 days programme pledged and promised by the President Maithripala Srisena. Defeat of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a clear rejection of the executive Presidency and assent to bring the independence of Judiciary, ensure fundamental and human rights and rule of law. People of Sri Lanka has rejected all kinds of narrow, vested interested and chronic nationalism and crude nation theories but have asserted the unity of Sri Lankan nationalism and democratic aspirations irrespective of linguistic and religious differences. The President Sirisena is obliged to the people elected him with an object that he would invariably ensure the implementation of the 100 days programmes, notwithstanding of all kinds of provokes and challenges. It is the duty of not only the President but also mainly of the PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Venerable religious priests who committed good governance to the people, JVP and JHU leaders, SLMC and ACMC leaders and the Tamil leaders including that of upcountry and the North-East, all who campaigned and promised during the last Presidential election. Otherwise, all the lost persons waiting for their opportunity would fly to sky as if newly born angels and raise the question of credibility and dependability of the present government and its supported forces.
It is therefore the President and his advisers and close aides and the Prime Minister to concentrate what is good for the future of the country. When I go through the proposed 19A, I strongly feel to express my appreciation to the commitment of the commendable job that has been done in such a short time by Dr.Jayampathy Wickremaratne and his team of legal experts. However, since they have asked comments, suggestions and corrections from outside of the government, regarding proposed amendments, I being a person having a little experience in the political affairs of Sri Lanka and an ambition to make Sri Lanka to be a genuinely democratic, politically pluralistic, truly peaceful and sustainably developing united nation accommodating all divergences and differences harmoniously.
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