ජනාධිපති ක්රමය අහෝසි කරන බවට දි ඇති පොරොන්දුව ඉටු කරන්නේ කවදා ද?
Ivan recalls that Chandrika Kumaratunga promised at every rally to tear up J.R. Jayewardene’s constitution and enact the People’s Alliance draft. He traces the demand to abolish the executive presidency from the Premadasa impeachment and the SLFP’s 1988 and 1994 manifestos, notes the government’s silence since winning, and argues that with UNP cooperation the next parliamentary election could be held under a parliamentary system.
නැවත ජයග්රහණය අනාගතය
Ivan analyses Chandrika Kumaratunga’s re-election, which he judges not entirely clean but not overturned by the malpractice in seats such as Hanguranketa and Dambulla. The LTTE bomb at her final rally swung sympathy her way and the anger at Prabhakaran fell on Ranil Wickremesinghe, yet her share of the vote fell sharply from 1994. He foresees clashes between pro- and anti-package forces in the People’s Alliance, doubts she will give up the executive presidency as promised, and notes costly election pledges.
සියලු විරුද්ධ පක්ෂ තුළ සාධාරණ සැකයක්
The editorial says the People’s Alliance’s presidential victory is doubted by all opposition parties. It cites PAFFREL reports of ballot snatching and the expulsion of opposition polling agents, contrasts the silence of the acting Elections Commissioner, an outsider appointed without electoral experience, with the annulments made after the North Western provincial poll, and notes the misuse of state media. It calls on the government to reform the electoral machinery before a parliamentary election.
Her Vasana chakra spinning other way
President Kumaratunga is drifting towards a political abyss from which there will be no easy return. She did not come to power through commitment, experience or ability but through good fortune, and she became president at a moment when she had been hoping only to become an MP.
An election with democracy turned upside down
The SLMC leader told the President that winning a corrupt election would blemish not only her but her children, and that losing a free one would be more honourable. She assured him there would be a clean election. This column sets that assurance against what was being arranged in the districts.
Clinging on to a dictatorial presidency
If there is a country anywhere in the world where a dictatorial ruler is elected by popular vote, it must be Sri Lanka. J.R. Jayewardene built the system by discarding every sensible feature of the American and French models and keeping only the diabolical ones — after which he said the one thing he could not do was turn a woman into a man.
Who will get the Tamil support?
The President has gone for a snap election before her term expires, hoping to win it and then to convert that into a bigger parliamentary majority. The hope depends on the first hurdle, and the first hurdle depends on the Tamil vote — which this column counts constituency by constituency.
Will her surprise move patch up cracks?
Many observers knew the President had plans for a snap presidential election; most were still caught unawares when she proclaimed one and shelved the November budget. What follows is a reading of the arithmetic she is betting on, party by party and vote by vote.
Executive Gobbles up Judiciary
Why did the President, against every accepted norm of morality, appoint Sarath N. Silva to the vacant post of Chief Justice at a time when very serious allegations against him were being inquired into before the Supreme Court? And how will that act work on society and on politics?
Big and mighty get away, small ones have to pay
After reports that most members of the legislature break the assets declaration rule they enacted themselves, the President has ordered every cabinet and deputy minister to hand over five years of declarations at once. Enforcing the law late, and only because a newspaper pressed, still deserves praise.