The Constitutional Oasis

"The younger generation will one day curse you. If you ever want to escape from that very strong bad Karma, please protest on 8th September, 2010 during the time the Sri Lankan parliament passes the first wave of a series of political tsunamis in modern Sri Lankan history."
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by Thrishantha Nanayakkara

(September 07, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Minister Wimal Weerawansa who is doing a wonderful job in keeping the patriotic masses warm for president Mahinda Rajapakse yet again came on TV to throw another googly. He came up with a brilliant idea to mesmerize Sri Lankan voters with a wave of promising constitutional reforms, with the 18th amendment at the forefront and some other reforms with a "senate" (very American), and electoral reforms in the following waves. However, he didn't explain why the 18th amendment that removes the two-term limit on the presidency is very urgent and why it should be passed first. I asked a 16 year old boy who might vote in the next presidential election what could be the reason. He instantly said, "by that time voters of our age would not know that there was a two-term limit on the presidency. So, all what they will see is the great promise of an American democracy in the next set of reforms". People have already forgotten that this removal of two term limit was not in the Mahinda Chinthana second edition. Instead, the drums were beaten on urgent need to strengthen democracy by giving more powers to the parliament, and the need to reform the electoral system.

Therefore it is clear that Mahinda Rajapakse and his lieutenant Mr. Wimal Weerawansa have already begun to compose their Mahinda Chinthana third edition that includes things that must be done to complete the patriotic mission with usual keywords like strengthening Sri Lankan democracy, ensuring sovereignty, its territorial integrity etc.

I predict today what these duo will do next. First, Mahinda Rajapakse will drag his feet on the next set of reforms till the third presidential election. Then Wimal will come up with his usual patriotic poems to instill a fear psychosis in you that a constitution that allows a president to enjoy an unlimited number of terms in office should never be trusted in the hands of their opponents who happen to be traitors, without the next set of reforms that are in the Mahinda Chintana third edition. Therefore, the only secure way forward for the country will be to elect Mahinda Rajapakse, who happens to be the unchallenged patriotic mega star of the millennium to power with a clear mandate to bring in the next set of reforms to the constitution. They may even get Ranil Wickramasinghe to make few clear blunders during the campaign to consolidate their argument. In fact recent lethargic behavior of Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe casts serious doubts in me as to whether this statesman has also become a victim of some sort of Rajapakse strategy to win opponents. With this I am not at all recommending Sajith Premadasa as an alternative.

Unless the opposition finds a way to nurture a new set of educated, energetic, sensible, and wise frontier of leaders by such time, the result will be clear. You will be imprisoned voters with no choice. Your fear psychosis will tell you "the known devil is better than the unknown", because the only devil you know by that time will be Mahinda Rajapakse, and your rational mind will urge you to get the rest of the reforms to the constitution done through him.

By this time, Sri Lankan economy would have grown to an acceptable level and there will be another risk in defeating Mahinda Rajapakse which automatically means his family. That is none other than the fact that a fair chunk of the Sri Lankan economy will depend on the success or failure of the Rajapakse family. The profitability of of their ventures will hang on political power. One example is the Micro Car company, whose biggest customer is the Government itself. By the time General Suhartho was ejected from power in Indonesia, nearly 30% of Indonesian economy belonged to Suharto family. If not Wimal, somebody else who is known for economics and finance will put forward the logic that the country's economy will be at great stake if Mahinda Rajapakse is defeated. You, the peace loving voters who also care for the economic stability will vote like prisoners. The constitutional reforms promised in the Mahinda Chinthana 3rd, 4th, 5th editions, will keep tightening your prison gates till your younger generation loses their voting rights altogether.

The younger generation will one day curse you. If you ever want to escape from that very strong bad Karma, please protest on 8th September, 2010 during the time the Sri Lankan parliament passes the first wave of a series of political tsunamis in modern Sri Lankan history.