52 වැනි නිදහස හා මරණ බිය
The editorial notes that the 52nd independence anniversary arrives as fear of death returns, though ending that fear was a slogan of the 1991 impeachment movement and of the rulers now in power. It lists death threats, murders of local opposition activists, threats to journalists and rights activists, and attacks on a famous actress and a singing couple, and urges all sections to unite as artists did to defeat this campaign before the parliamentary election.
රාවයට වැරදුණේද? ආපසු හැරි බැලීමක්
Ivan defends Ravaya’s critical stance before the presidential election. He explains that the paper promoted Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1992–94 for her reform programme, which she never implemented, and rejects her claim to have ended the fear of death and granted media freedom, recalling how Ravaya defied J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa, including publishing the 1988 election petition verdict in advance. He lists corrupted polls under her rule and maintains her win was not a clean mandate.
Individual power disastrous to democracy
The government will not get a two-thirds majority at a parliamentary election. It can reach the number only by enacting a law that permits crossovers and then holding a referendum — which is precisely what was done once before, and this column is about what that cost.
මැතිවරණ දූෂණවලට විසඳුමක් නැද්ද?
The editorial notes that armed ballot-stuffing began under the UNP with the Jaffna Development Council poll, while elections from 1991 to 1994 were free and fair. The People’s Alliance promised to empower the Elections Commissioner but has presided over corrupt polls, notably the 1999 North Western provincial election, and never appointed the promised inquiry committee. It calls for an all-party reform of the electoral machinery before the parliamentary election.
දැන් කරන්න යන්නේ මොනවාද?
Ivan says the People’s Alliance, instead of tackling the problems it promised to solve quickly, is busy attacking opponents. The new constitution has gone quiet, there is no clear approach to ending the war within a year, and the President’s three-hour address contradicted her conciliatory inauguration speech. He urges calm judgement and cooperation with political opponents.
ඊළඟට කුමක් සිදුවේද
After the presidential election the editorial finds the way ahead unclear. It asks whether the President’s call to the UNP means a genuine national government or a ploy to isolate Ranil Wickremesinghe, doubts that the promised new constitution and package can pass with anti-package figures in the alliance, and notes that a prime minister is less secure than an executive president. A second section faults Wickremesinghe’s leadership for passivity over the Chief Justice appointment and the elections machinery and for careless remarks.
Now back in power, what will she do?
Chandrika Kumaratunga’s win was not a clean victory in the full sense, and the abuses were not so great as to make one regret it. They did occur — in Hanguranketha, Wattegama, Wariyapola, Dambulla. What she does now is the question.
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.
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.
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.