Is President Sirisena Following A Saffron Agenda?
By Hilmy Ahamed –June 22, 2015
Hilmy Ahamed
The President’s resolve to ensure the passage of 20A in its current form, is seen by more than twenty minor and minorities parties as a blatant attempt to dislodge them from parliament. His commitment to 20th Amendment may be due to the assurance that he gave the SLFP members when he sought their support for the 19th Amendment, yet it is important that this process is not bulldozed.
The group of small parties that met at the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) wants the gazette notification published on the 20th amendment withdrawn and a proper consultation undertaken. Failure would mean that it passage would be challenged both in and outside parliament.
While, it is agreed and accepted that delimitation and constitutional reforms to rid the scourge of the preferential vote are an absolute necessity, and a promise in Maithripala’s Yahapalanaya manifesto that needs to be honoured, it is important that the fears expressed by the minor and minority parties are addressed forthwith.
President Maithripala Sirisena could stand accused of totally betraying the minority communities that ensured his victory at the Presidential election of January 2015. The 20A will eliminate the representation from parliament; most of the minority parties who helped him reach the presidency. Many of these parties do not command a large enough voter base to win electorates but are strong enough to win representations in the districts. They fear that if 20A is implemented in its current form, it would cement the two party rule. This may auger well as a nation to move away from ethnic based politics, yet, Sri Lankan electorate has been polarized along ethnic and religious lines. We need to go back to the days when the elected legislators represented all the people and communities alike. This may not be the easy after over 35 years of ethnic/communal politics that was introduced under the JR Jayewardene constitutional reforms.Read More