Why Liberals Opposed Mahinda?
By Kamal Nissanka –April 19, 2016
Kamal Nissanka
In 2005 Liberal Party decided to support Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa candidacy in the Presidential Election though there were dissenting views in the party against that decision. The relationship continued till 2010 Presidential election and Liberal Party was also considered as an alliance party though there was no formal agreement with the UPFA. In 2010 over 30 political parties rallied under Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and he won the presidential election comfortably. The Liberal Party initiated some talks with the heavyweights of UPFA and was able to include one of its members as a national list candidate from UPFA national list. With election victory the leader of the UPFA Mr Mahinda Rajapakse offered the Liberal Party a national list seat.
18th Amendment
To our dismay the first policy decision by Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa after the parliamentary election victory was to introduce the 18th amendment to the constitution to revoke the 17th amendment and while doing so made provisions the incumbent president to contest future presidential election erasing the two term limitation. Few of us in the Liberal Party were against 18th amendment but a real and a genuine debate against the 18th amendment was not taken place in the party that had continuously stood for democratic reforms. As the party under Dr Chanaka Amaratunga (leader since 1987-1996) had always agitated against these types of draconian legislation, in 2010 the party’s inactivity and subordination under Rajapaksa administration resulted in losing its integrity as a party of principles.
Impeachment of Chief Justice
Dr Chanaka Amaratunga
The next incident that the Liberal Party could not support Rajapaksa policy was the impeachment against the chief justice. The Liberal Party initially did not accept and approve the appointment of Ms Shirani Bandaranayake as a superior court judge as it was against the seniority basis and the appointment was widely regarded as political. However during the course of time she performed well in the Supreme Court. When Rajapaksa administration wanted her to act according to the whims fancies of executive she refused to work accordingly. Thereafter the impeachment was brought against her in late 2012. On behalf of the Liberal Party impeachment was condemned and criticized with a series of articles by me. The then leader who was also a member of parliament was in a difficulty as the party stance was clear and he abstained from voting the impeachment motion.
Ban of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
