‘Abolish Presidency’ blues hit the charts again in poll’s year
Ranil, Maithri and Mahinda combo unite to end the jazz while Gota gets set to make debut on presidential stage
Even as in spring time a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love and romance, so do Lanka’s leading politicians begin to hum the old, known, well- worn tune of scrapping the presidency at every spring of a presidential poll year before raising it to a crescendo at the approach of winter’s end.
And this time, like the robin breast who sings at the first sign of spring, they have started cooing early.
Leading the flock was Ranil Wickremesinghe, a long time proponent of the executive form of government which his uncle Junius introduced 40 years ago to the Lankan constitution and nailed it to the cross of this nation’s fate as an irremovable object. But now the one time proponent has turned opponent and the very idea of abolishing the executive presidency makes his pants want to get up and dance.
He hit the first note and had the rest joining the choir to sing the chorus when he stated in Parliament on December 17 last year that he wanted the public to give him a rain cheque to him to have the executive presidency abolished next term; and no sooner had he said it, his loyal bandmaster Malik Samarawickrama took the cue and raise his conductor baton to make the orchestra ring loud with Yahapalanaya’s Unfinished Symphony.
Samarawickrama, giving echo to his master’s voice, said, ‘The Executive Presidency does not lead to a stronger State; it does not strengthen the unitary State of the country; nor will it lead to a more stable Government. We must bring priority to this Parliament, the elected representatives of the people. It is clearly apparent from this crisis that the Executive Presidency is posing a serious threat. All of us members of this Legislature need to double down and commit to abolish the Executive Presidency. We commenced through this path through the 19th Amendment, which drained the abso- lute powers of the Executive and brought more power to Parliament. From the last 51 days, you can see how vital this Amendment was. Now it is time to complete the job of abolishing the Executive Presidency.”
He said: “The United National Party, which created the Executive Presidency in 1978, endorses the fact that concentrating so much power in one single office is dangerous for democracy and the country at large.” Then it was the turn of Maithri who, having made it his campaign promise, cannot afford to do a bulti on his pledges and even whilst dancing the kaffringa on every political stage, has to solemnly swear to do away with the executive presidency even as he vowed before the corpse of the Yahapalana architect, the Ven. Sobitha Thera, to abolish it -even though he has made no secret of his own ambitions to content the presidential election again, despite vowing before the nation at his inauguration as president on January 9, 2015 he will only serve one term and leave thereafter to his Polonnaruwa paddy field to till the land.
Last month on the 21st of February he said, ‘ It’s not my fault that I transgressed on my promises’. Addressing Parliament he stated: “Even in my 2015 election manifesto, I stated that I am contesting with the intention to abolish the executive presidency. It is not my fault that it has not been abolished until now. That responsibility is vested with Parliament. Whatever decision this honourable House takes in that regard, I will abide by it. I have stated that then as I do now. There is no issue on that.” And then President Sirisena announced his continued commitment to abolish the Presidential system of Government.
And then after these two have sung their usual signature tunes, await the surprise of the year. The arrival on stage to join the jazz combo and render his own version of ‘ what a wonderful world it will be’ if we didn’t have an executive form of government.’
Suits him fine, doesn’t it, at this hour to sing soul? For one who had enjoyed executive power for a decade and even enacted legislation to extend his right to contest the polls forever whilst arrogating all the powers of the state unto himself, including the police, the Attorney General’ s Department and other powers, with no check or balance until the people gave him the boot in 2015, Mahinda Rajapaksa forms the threesome to make ‘ abolish the presidency’ once more a familiar tune on Lanka’s Hit Parade. The jingle remains the same. Only the singers are different. And all of them singing in unison sound as a choir singing flat.
Of course, all three have their own reason for wanting the executive presidency to be abolished. Perhaps Ranil, long denied as he has been of the ultimate prize, five times bridesmaid but never the bride, believes his chances of wielding executive power as prime minister with his party on course to gain the majority of seats stand him in good stead rather than once more face the jinx of a presidential contest, the holy grail which has always eluded him. So near to his grasp but so far from his reach as happened in the 2005 elections when Mahinda beat him at the post after Jaffna punters were denied their right to bet.
Maithripala, condemned as he is to political Coventry has no choice in the matter but to save face and give voice to his parrot call for its abolition. And as far as Mahinda is concerned, the presidential election is a no go zone, barred as he is from showing his colours at the starting point by virtue of the 19th Amendment. Rather than play second fiddle to an executive president from either side, the logical thing for him is, of course, to campaign for the abolition of the presidential system and ring in the prime ministerial stakes.
And while the combo play their song, now comes the troubadour to give his own solo recital. Ex- president’s Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger brother, Gotabaya, who believes he his presidential material. Having confined himself to a series of voice cuts each time he emerged from the courts where he faces a series of corruption charges, Gotabaya has now ventured into the open to announce his own maiden appearance on the political stage. The debut was to be held on Friday. But for some reason or the other it has been postponed. Gotabaya faces three challenges. The first will be the verdict of the courts as to his guilt or innocence as to the charges he is indicted with.
The second is the matter of dual nationality; and although he says with confidence that the renunciation of United States citizenship is a casual affair which can be disowned overnight at one’s whim and fancy, America seems not to be in so an obliging mood when a citizen who had enjoyed its broad acres for so long wish to slap Uncle Sam on his face and vanish from the scene.
Third, whilst he is trying to make the maiden speech on stage, it must infuriate him to find his elder sibling joining hands with Ranil and Maithri
to frustrate his very aim.
And the thought must worry him. If the USA should grant him renunciation of USA citizenship in order for him to contest the presidential polls which, if he does as he has said he would, and which in turn would serve to send the fear of God through the corridors and rooms of the judiciary presently hearing his cases, if the combo of Ranil, Maithri and his own brother succeed in enacting in parliament legislation to abolish the executive presence in the body politic – which they can for amongst them they have the necessary numbers, the two thirds necessary as the Supreme Court will demand or when a referendum to validate it is called for - would he find forlorn that, after giving up USA citizenship, it all been in vain for there is no presidential podium to step on and make his presidential address? And where would that leave him? Neither here or there.
There is a saying in Istanbul, centuries old. A Turk never keeps a brother near the throne.