Need to probe effects of Oct 26 Constitutional Crisis

Since the blueprint for democracy introduced in early 19th century by the British, the representational democracy in our country had faced several challenges; assassination of an incumbent Prime Minister, an attempted coup in 1962, JVP uprisings in 70s and 80s and a 30-year destructive war, to name a few.

However, the mother of all challenges was undoubtedly the constitutional crisis triggered by the dissolution of government on October 26, 2018; the only occasion that one branch of the government crossed the defined boundaries of the constitution which plunged the country into a serious political crisis.

The fallout of the 52 days of anarchy is being interpreted and analyzed by different quarters of the society at different fora without a proper assessment by an official probe. It has been reported that the crisis resulted in a double digit drop in tourist arrival, withholding of foreign grants, drop in export earnings, in addition to the loss of investment confidence and the adverse effect on the image of the country. The ripple effect in monetary terms alone could run into billions of rupees!

In the absence of any accurate data of the actual effect of the 52 days of political turmoil, it is opportune that a presidential commission is appointed to assess the overall damage to the Country by this constitutional crisis.