Alas, How Times Have Changed, How Morals Have Degenerated! (O Tempora O Mores)

By Gamini Weerakoon

(February 21, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It should have been the best of times for the victors and the worst of times for the losers.But why on earth are the victors instead of going from one victory to another continuing to bash the loser after having arrested and incarcerated him as well?

That is not the way of winners. For example, take the new star of the Rajapaksa bandwagon, Sonna Boy Jayasuriya. Had he clouted six after six in a close encounter and won the match for his side, would he walk up to the opposing captain and bash the poor fellow’s head with his bat? That’s not cricket but probably he will be taught soon that cricket is not the same thing as politics as well demonstrated by the plight of General Fonseka.

Have An Enemy

A simple explanation for this Fonseka bashing could be that in Sri Lankan politics you cannot fight an election unless you have an enemy. The traditional ‘enemy’ of the SLFP, the UNP led by Ranil Wickremesinghe did a strategic retreat at the last presidential election and General Sarath Fonseka led the charge.

Fonseka was built up as the devil incarnate. Ranil simply cannot be brought back as the substitute for the parliamentary election and it would not go down well with the howling SLFP mob. So Fonseka remains as enemy No 1. He has not been charged with any particular offence. There are numerous government ‘spokesmen’ these days and these numerous mouth pieces make different accusations on different days.

Going by the trend of events, Fonseka would probably remain prisoner till the parliamentary elections are over. Charges would probably be made close to the date of elections. And in a court martial trial, the main opposition candidate would have to face a challenge which no accused in a civilian trial has ever faced since the British introduced their criminal laws: Proving himself innocent whereas every common criminal has the privilege of having the state to prove him guilty!

Constitutions can’t help

The blitzkrieg against Gen. Fonseka and his family by all commandeered state forces continue and some rear-guard action is being attempted by the JVP and the UNP for Fonseka, ‘the traitors’ — 40 per cent who voted against Rajapaksa — are wondering about the future form of government in Sri Lanka. If the Rajapaksa coalition gets a two third majority will the executive presidential system be abolished as promised by Rajapaksa in 2005 or be strengthened as indicated by going trends?

We have had constitutional pundits over the past two decades promoting various forms of government but all this seems hogwash because whoever grabs power will not give up JRJ’s executive presidential form of government. Given the calibre of our politicians, whatever form the constitution may take, it would be wrecked by the thirst for power and wealth by incumbent politicos.

This was not the kind of Sri Lankan politicians this country was blessed with even as late as the ’60s. Glancing through proceedings of seven seminars in a collection titled ‘Ideas for Constitutional Reform’ edited by the late Chanaka Amaratunga, we came across a revealing paper on the quality of our past politicians and bureaucrats, presented by a former Secretary General of Parliament, Sam Wijesinghe.

He relates an incident during the 1936 elections to the Morawaka seat in the State Council where Dr. S.A. Wickremasinghe, the legendary Communist leader of the south was contested by a planter, R.C. Kannangara. When the results were announced Kannangara had won and M. Rajendra, the well known Civil Servant, the presiding officer, had suddenly discovered that one ballot box had not been counted. Wijesinghe says: “He (Rajendra) the honourable gentleman he was, decided that this was a fatal mistake on his part and wanted to come and tell the Chief Secretary (the head of the civil administration under the British) and resign from the Civil Service but before he left he met Dr. Wickremasinghe and said: ‘Dr.Wicks, I have made a bad mistake, you should get a by-election and I am resigning.’”

He had told Wickremasinghe about one ballot box not being counted. Dr. Wickremasinghe had inquired from which area that ballot box happened to be. When Rajendra mentioned the area from which the ballot box came, Dr. Wickremasinghe had replied: ‘Don’t worry Mr. Rajendra even if I had got all the votes in that ballot box, I would still have lost.’ So don’t tell anybody, don’t resign and just forget the incident.” “How many people would do such a thing?” asks Sam Wijesinghe.

Two knights

Another incident related was about an election to the Home Committee in the State Council where Sir Baron Jayatilleke who had only three supporters was pitted against another knight, Sir Cuda Ratwatte who had four supporters, for the post of chairman of the committee. When the voting came Sir Baron surprisingly won by four votes to three. Sir Cuda himself had voted for Sir Baron!

Another incident related is about the 1965-1970 parliament where T.B. Ilangaratne, a senior SLFPer had won a by-election to the Kolonnawa seat and the Chief Opposition Whip, Michael Siriwardene had told Sam Wijesinghe, then Clerk to the House of Representatives that Ilangaratne had to be accommodated in the front row. But all front row seats were occupied and Siriwardene had requested that Somaweera Chandrasiri be moved to a back seat to accommodate Ilangaratne. Chandrasiri (who was known for his belligerence) had told Siriwardene: umba maawa passata thallukoloth gahala elawanawa (If you push me to the back I will thrash you and chase you out). T.B. Subasinghe who was known for his gentle and polite ways had then resolved the dispute by consenting to take a backseat and give Ilangaratne his front row seat.

When the political crisis that has best the nation is examined it will be apparent that it is not so much the forms of government that matter but the quality of politicians and bureaucrats who have become their henchmen. ‘The 1956 revolution’ was said to have dawned the age of the common man but now it is clear that it has turned out to be the age of the common thug and the brazen criminal.

Certainly we cannot dream of knights of the British Empire, Rate Mahatmayas or landed proprietors gracing our legislatures but this country is not devoid of decent, educated men and women to take their place. Are we are to have thugs and criminals inside our next parliament as it has now happened? The choice is before you, the voters. It’s time the party leaders are told this in plain language.