The Necessary Battle Over Presidential Term-Limits
“Tomorrow, perhaps the future” — W.H. Auden (Spain 1937)
Mahinda Rajapaksa: Battling for term-limits
By Tisaranee Gunasekara
The charade is finally over. President Rajapaksa has informed Sri Lanka’s Micawberian opposition that he intends to remove presidential term-limits and run for a third (and, the Grim Reaper permitting, a fourth and a fifth…) term. Clearly Rajapaksa père means to be president for life and be succeeded by Rajapaksa fils. The UNP has been deluded, yet again and (wittingly or unwittingly) made to serve the dynastic ambitions of the ruling family.
Now that the truth is out, the UNP cannot continue to cling to the mirage of consensual politics. Here is an issue which must be fought and can be won. If the Rajapaksa plan to remove presidential term-limits is successful, Sri Lanka will succumb to dynastic rule. But, if the proposed amendment is defeated, there is a fighting chance for a non-Rajapaksa to succeed Mahinda Rajapaksa, six years from now. This is a battle which cannot be evaded by any who abhors the thought of Sri Lanka in the grip of a tyrannous and rapacious family oligarchy.
Removing presidential term limits while preserving the powers of executive presidency is incompatible with democracy. Consequently, this is not a partisan issue but a straightforward battle for democracy in which all opposition parties (from the UNP to the JVP and the DNA, from the SLMC to the TNA and the TULF) can join, without reservations about political principles or electoral spoils. Since, in the final analysis, the only real beneficiaries of the proposed amendment are some members of the Rajapaksa family and their hangers-on, this issue can be used to drive a wedge not only between the ruling family and the ruling party, but also within the ruling family, causing the isolation of Rajapaksa père and fils, (Would Basil Rajapaksa, for instance, be elated at the thought of a President Namal?) The Rajapaksas, in their unctuous greed, have presented the opposition with the ideal single-issue campaign which can ‘unite the many to defeat the few’. Will the opposition grab this opportunity or miss it to the detriment of our common future?
Will To Power, Leni Riefenstahl’s artistically magnificent and ideologically diabolical movie heralded the Nazi future. Pongu Thamil venerated Velupillai Pirapaharan as a living god. Jaya Jayawe, a musical show sponsored by the state TV, presaged the Rajapaksa future. Panegyric after panegyric hailed President Rajapaksa as the ‘Lion in the Lion Flag’, ‘Our Time, Our Legacy, Our Future, Our Solution, Our Father, Our Comfort, Our Happiness, Our Light…’, the ‘Father of the Nation’ and the ‘Wonder of the World and the Universe’, ‘High King’ and ‘Divine Gift’, a ‘Golden Sword which defends the nation’ and a ‘Golden Thread which unites sundered hearts’, the Sun and the Moon (Hiru and Sandu to the South; Thinakaran and Chandiran to the North).
The final song of the evening was dedicated the President’s mother; ‘Mother, are you watching from heaven, as the son, whom the gods and the Brahmas sent to your womb from golden palaces, is protecting the nation?’ queried the songstress, while the said heaven-donated son listened with manifest complaisance, finding nothing out of the ordinary in this and other idolatrous outpourings. His demeanour indicated that he considered such slavish obeisance to be his due. It was the attitude of a man who sincerely believes that absolute power and lifelong rule as his right. Removing presidential term-limits is a sine-qua-non for the realisation of that manifest destiny.
Task of the Hour
The Rajapaksas, when inveigling opposition members to defect, use cupidity as their main psychological propellant. The opposition can use similar tactics to cause dismay and consternation in government ranks. If Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga removed presidential term limits, Mahinda Rajapaksa would not have had a chance of becoming the president. Similarly, if the Rajapaksa plan works, all senior and up-and-coming SLFP leaders will be condemned to stagnation and to end their political lives as the servitors of this or that Rajapaksa.
The constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits contains the potential to create dissension within the ruling coalition. If the amendment goes through, non-Rajapaksa SLFPers will have to be content with nothing more than toothless ministerial posts, since real power will be concentrated in the hands of the Rajapaksas. A word picture of this unending Rajapaksa future, consisting of unquestioning obedience to every caprice of the ruling family and humiliating servitude to a President Namal, for a paltry reward, should be drawn for the edification of SLFP seniors and potential Young Turks.
The prospect of such a life sentence of servility cannot but dismay any vertebrate SLFP leader. Given their dread of Rajapaksa vengeance (of which Gen. Sarath Fonseka is living proof), leading SLFPers are unlikely to join any oppositional campaign openly. But if the opposition can launch a broad and a spirited campaign against term-limit removal, some SLFPers may be emboldened into urging the President to shelve his signature constitutional reform.
There was a time when the UNP was a source of inspiration to its supporters and unease to its opponents. Today, thanks to the long, debilitating leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe, the UNP is a source of inspiration to its opponents and unease to its supporters. Reversing this reversal totally is impossible until Wickremesinghe is ousted from UNP leadership. Fortunately the necessary battle against the removal of presidential term-limits need not wait for that felicitous change. In fact, the conduct of leading UNPers on the issue of presidential term-limit removal can become a litmus test to gauge their capacity (or lack of it) to battle the Rajapaksas.
Will Wickremesinghe be able to unite the opposition and launch a strong and spirited protest campaign against presidential term-limit removal? Which of the UNP’s Young Turks will play a leading role in this national campaign? Incidentally, the Rajapaksas are likely to make insidious attempts to exacerbate the leadership squabble and other divisive issues to prevent the UNP from focusing on the battle against presidential term-limit removal. The UNP needs to avoid such ruses and concentrate on the task at hand. Let Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ravi Karunanayake, Sajith Premadasa and others with leadership aspirations show their mettle in this necessary battle for democracy against a common enemy.
An effective and united protest campaign may also discourage potential opposition defectors. The regime does not have a two-thirds majority as yet. Unless the Rajapaksas can engineer a substantial defection from the opposition, they will need to retain the support of every UPFA parliamentarian. If some of the minority or left parliamentarians can be persuaded to dissent on just this issue, while remaining in the government, the Rajapaksa plan to remove presidential term-limits may be stillborn.
The opposition lost many battles because it never waged them. Today indifference and inaction are non-options. The term-limit removal issue is the last real hurdle in the path to dynastic rule; it is also the highest because this is an issue which cannot be justified, ipso facto, using patriotism, Sinhala supremacism or any other ism. On this issue, the Rajapaksas are at their weakest and most naked. They can and must be defeated, for a democratic Sri Lankan future to become even a remote possibility.
Height of imagination! – expecting Ranil W to battle MR!
How could he? MR is required for Ranil’s survival in the office of opposition leader. he cant live without the perks, can he? He is the longest serving incumbent. he..he…he..he..
Even if Mahinda make Sri Lanka a Singapore (common benchmarked used by our politicians), at least half the 40% people who voted will never accept that Mahinda is a good leader. Not even you, will accept that. Because, you measure the quality of the leader not based on their effectiveness, but based on your political biasness.
Mahinda is the most effective leader we had after independence. Most people know this from their heart, but never want to speak out loud enough and tell.
1) He was effective in ending the war.
2) He was effective in managing the economy, while facing a war and facing a global economic meltdown
3) He was effective in resettling people in North (of course with minor mistakes)
4) He was effective in solving the power (electricity) problem. For last 4 years we didn’t have “energy saving power cuts” which was a common thing during previous governments.
5) He was effective in uplifting the quality of highway system in SL. There are rarely “Ali naawana maha walawal” in Sri Lankan highwas, as mentioned in that Sunil Perera songs.
6) He was effective in uplifting the life of farmers. During last 4 years no farmer commited suicide. That’s why Mahinda reached over 60% in agricultural areas (and you still believe the result is a “computer fruad” :-) )
If anyone can prove the above things are wrong; please come forward with your evidence. This is what we expect from a good leader. Person who can deliver results; not just words.
Of course under MR, your “posh Colombo” society wouldn’t have enjoyed special privileges, tax concessions for black money you earned etc. That’s why Mahinda lost Colombo city area. If he did a computer fraud, why didn’t he do the same for Colombo city? Why not for Galle electorate?
Those who voted SF in this election should be thankful to those who voted MR for saving Sri Lanka from a serious death trap. You will realize that we (58% of voters) made the right choice, in another 4 years. But still you will not accept it, merely because of your political brassiness. You will still find 100 plus one reason to blam Mahinda, and not appreciate what he has done.
We don’t want perfect leaders! There are no perfect humans to begin with. Not even Obama a perfect leader. In Sri Lanka, we have found the leader who really got the willingness and ability to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. We trust him, and we will vote him again and again and again! The day he fail to deliver results; we will vote someone else. Till then, we don’t want any “miserable change”
Even if Mahinda make Sri Lanka a Singapore (common benchmark used by our politicians), at least half the 40% people who voted will never accept that Mahinda is a good leader. Not even you, will accept that. Because, you measure the quality of the leader not based on their effectiveness, but based on your political biasness.
Mahinda is the most effective leader we had after independence. Most people know this from their heart, but never want to speak out loud enough and tell.
1) He was effective in ending the war.
2) He was effective in managing the economy, while facing a war and facing a global economic meltdown
3) He was effective in resettling people in North (of course with minor mistakes)
4) He was effective in solving the power (electricity) problem. For last 4 years we didn’t have “energy saving power cuts” which was a common thing during previous governments.
5) He was effective in uplifting the quality of highway system in SL. There are rarely “Ali naawana maha walawal” in Sri Lankan highwas, as mentioned in that Sunil Perera songs.
6) He was effective in uplifting the life of farmers. During last 4 years no farmer committed suicide. That’s why Mahinda reached over 60% in agricultural areas (and you still believe the result is a “computer fruad” :-) )
If anyone can prove the above things are wrong; please come forward with your evidence. This is what we expect from a good leader. Person who can deliver results; not just words.
Of course under MR, your “posh Colombo” society wouldn’t have enjoyed special privileges, tax concessions for black money you earned, the income streams from brothels,drug deals were shut down etc. That’s why Mahinda lost Colombo city area. If he did a computer fraud, why didn’t he do the same for Colombo city? Why not for Galle electorate?
Those who voted SF in this election should be thankful to those who voted MR for saving Sri Lanka from a serious death trap. You will realize that we (58% of voters) made the right choice, in another 4 years. But still you will not accept it, merely because of your political brassiness. You will still find 100 plus one reason to blame Mahinda, and not appreciate what he has done.
We don’t want perfect leaders! There are no perfect humans to begin with. Not even Obama a perfect leader. In Sri Lanka, we have found the leader who really got the willingness and ability to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. We trust him, and we will vote him again and again and again! The day he fail to deliver results; we will vote someone else. Till then, we don’t want any “miserable change”
hey mahinda let me tell u something. u can buy ministers, opposition leader, now u can extend the term till 2024. haha happy?????. ur life so short my movive star.. do u really think u can live till 80?. we believe budism.
Good for SLFP senior idiots and to pimp Ranil, now they have no chance of dreaming any future for them, they all can watch how the Rajapaksa family moving from generation to generation??? good luck for them???
Our Chandrika madam may be the President of SriLanka once again.
What nonsense? There is already a move to take her to courts, like SF.
“OUR Madam”? What nonsense!. Only YOUR madam, you sychopant and saree potha clinger.
There need not be a restriction. Incumbent President should be allowed to
contest any number of times because his re-election depends on his perfromance.
If his performance is not good the people will reject. However, every endeavour
should be made to ensure that there is free and fair election. There should be
a Election Commission like in India. The elections we have had in the past
were not free and fair, with the incumbent President/Govt using all the state machinery in his/their favour. We remember how the national media conducted
its functions. On the day of the election too TV was misued to sling mud against
the opponent. So, first put in place an independent Election Commission like in
India and then let the incumbent president contest any number of times.
Ratama kanna raja hora, basil commiccion hora petrol gahapy gota hora tan multi millioners la mun.
Depressing. The argument that the incumbent can be defeated if performing poorly is rubbish – the full state machine will be brought to each election to deliver the result the Rajas want. If this goes through they will scarcely need election commissioners.
I thought limiting the executive presidency two terms was about the ONLY good part in JRJ’s masterpiece work to the nation… Priority must be to ABOLISH it first and to allow part leader to contest as many times as the Party agrees, like in other West minster type democracratic countries for the post of non executive prime minister accountable to the Parliament ; ABOLISH also the proportional representation which tends to bring in unduely high proportion of actors, cricketers, sports administrators and ultra rich mudalali’s to the Parliament.. Not sure how all these changes are going to prevent so called “Doctors” entering the parliament though…
We agree 100% with you Mr.Deen.
As long as people can be be fooled , rulers will always fool & manipulate them for their own benefit. Every manipulation is intended to make them stronger and stronger . And this step is a major one in that direction. To reverse this trend it will take a long time , or it may never happen. Thats the fate of of a country whose majority citizens blindly believe whatever their rulers say.
Time will prove ….. may god bless Sri lanka.
Welldone LSSP, Lal Wijenayake ,jayampathi Wickramarathne and others who battle against this undemocratic move! but where is UNP, and JVP …This not a case you can merely slip away.We all know that this is going to be our last chance for democratic freedom.Then they will start to kill everyone who is going to oppose them. DO WHAT EVER YOU CAN TO STOP THIS ANTI DEMOCRATIC MOVE BY RAJAPAKSE CLAN! country is belong to everyone……this is our country.
to Lankawick and all
The man who led and pushed all those so called heros towards Nandikadal was SF.Now he has been put behind bars. That’s the actual truth.If SF was not there our so called heros would have repeating what they were capable of doing during the past 25 years.going forward few miles capturing ground and then withdrawing back leaving every thing behind which led in arming the LTTE.That is the truth.It is not MR, Gota,or any body it is SF the true battle harden Commander who really led and pushed all those so called war heros towards Nandikadal Lagoon according to a well planned strategy.If you don’t know you can ask from any Army,Navy or AF officer. There were instances where SF had to reprimand even the AF commander summoning him to his office when the AF Pilots were reluctant to fly and take targets during night.Even gota came from his office to SF’s office to reprimand Air Marshal R Goonethilaka. I thought RG will put up his papers and leave that day If you don’t know these things pls take it from me.I have many more which I will give later . That’s how SF pushed the Army towards the final goal.
Now the so called heros don’t want to hear these things because they were not sure of themselves and they want to erase the history by killing SF which will be a futile effort.All those heros were shit scared when SF was visiting the battle areas.None could bluff him like they did to other commanders in the past giving false locations and feeding false information over the radio.SF new the ground well and exactly knew what was happening on ground.
So it will like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, elected president for life.
Let’s ask the astrologers for Maha Raja thuma’s “expiry date”.
Raja parayayo thoe apiwa kawa paraya.
A typical SF fan using the language borrowed from his/her leader …
Raja gu balla please read this article and try to work as a real leader not like a playboy. This is taken from Australian news bulletin Mr McLeay was forced to quit the frontbench on Wednesday after admitting to using a parliamentary computer to access gambling and adult websites – making him the fourth Keneally minister to leave cabinet this year.
In an uncomfortable, 11-minute media conference outside Parliament House, the married father of two admitted being humiliated and embarrassed by the revelations.
He apologised to his colleagues for further denting their chances at the March 2011 state election, saying his behaviour was not of the standard expected of cabinet ministers.
Dear Friends. Better that we change the name of our country !!!!!! Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka Bla Bla Bla ……. It seems not a joke??
now we are back to Monarchy and dictatorship Lords. One of his projects also change the capital. So His Name In History Rimer Forever ………
I’m Sorry For Poor people who believe he will give an improvement for them, sure he wii, but not to the people to Him and His Family:))
History has recorded many other so called Dictators/Kings/Emperors etc.
who behaved like our joker, and no one has any respect for any of those.
Hitler, Stalin, Saddam to name a few.
Now he is enjoying. The time of reckoning is not far
I would like recall SLFP and its senior members, if they have forgotten the past, how much effort and sacrifices everyone put before 1994 to come to power.It was meterialized after so many sacrifices on youths blood and sweats.Now NImal Siripala and people like Maithreepala dont remember those.Those days there was no jokers like Dullas and Wimal Weerawansa.I dont understand why you guys let someone to rob the country.May be it is due to your fear or intension to be Blood suckers by saying yes to everything your leader says.But I am quiet sure you people are not agree with dictators intensions by your inside.Then ask for a secret ballot for the proposed constitution amendments and say NO! Senior SLFPers must have consenses according to Bandaranayake policies. Other wise all of you have to pay your share in the future. History will dicide your fait. I know sihala urumaya including Champika Ranawaka will never going to agree with undemocratic move.Lets wait and see what is next!
Athakin Karawelaki Athakin Dadubeya
Marana Thunak Athi Minihek Pani Keya
Following next six years, the young people such as Vimukthi Kumarathunge and the only son of late Hon.Wijeweera will be in the field.
Julius ceaser reanacted?
Julius Caesar indeed. The Alimankada Pamankada man is Brutus, the prodigal son of the infamous Keselwatta Maaraya is Cassius and Casca has just emerged onto the stage in the form of the jumping fish from under his matriarchs saree potha. Did Shakeaspeare know the country was going to the dogs.
But Brutus is held at Naval HQ!
MR Rauf Hakeem and his 4 MP’s who rebel to joint undemocratic goverment should have second and third though before they vote in favour of change.
Its is going to biggest mistake in Srilankan history as well as SLMC history.
DOnt ever forget why SLMC formed and what its work?
You SLMP guys think again , Mr Ranil , yo need to show some muscles!
Mulu ratama kana me raja balla.
Ranil – u r an idiot. U should step down and give the opposition to some one who is popular.
MR’s first term is not yet terminated and he is already talking about a third term. Has anybody asked why this hurry? how funny? We still remember he was running for the second term announcing he want to abolish the executive presidency and won the election, after the general elections his cabinet ministers announced that for reasons of establishing peace and more democracy he needed to stay as an executive president. Now he is announcing his intentions of making a third term but the second term has not yet begun. Why not proving his good intentions in his second term as president before talking about a third or fourth term? If he proofs to be a good leader of the nation then the people will elect him for a third term. No this man is blind for greed and thirsty for absolute power. And moreover with his clan sitting in all vital positions and controlling the forces he can win any election at any given time by manipulation. The southerners eat anything out of his hand and starting to believe he is their only survival, kind of god. It is now the time to prevent such undemocratic movements and the politicians of all colors should join together to do it at the interest of the nation before it is too late.
Wel said Zorro
I guess MR is keen to change the constitution when he can secure 2/3 in the parliament. He knows there will be disgruntled MP’s who could jump out if they don’t get any portfolio in an year or two. But I don’t think he has to manipulate to win elections. When there are opposition candidates like Ranil, who do not have any confidence in themselves, inviting less popular characters like Fonseka to substitute him, MR knows he is riding high.
RRR “Raja pathi” ge idhiri gamana saha mahajanathawage awasan gamana: Samahara kaevum-kana modayanta me prashnaye barapathalakama THAVAMA therenne naethipaatai. Devaeni varata “Raja pathi” thanathurata pathvu puthgalaya, devaeni vaaraya patan gaeniimatath pera, 3,4,5 vaarayan gaena “DAEDI SIHI KALPANAWEN YUTHUVA” katayuthu karanne aei? Mee hingakana “Sri-mihin Lanthaye” visadhannata vena prashna naeddha??! Pavulvaadhaya/ Paalaka Pelapathak/ RAAJAWANSHAYAK haraha/ thula, Aagnadhayakayek (ADHIRAAJAYEK) bihivunoth mokada wenne? “Raja pathi”, Hitler, Idi Amin, Robert Mugabe vaeni Pissek bavata pathvunoth, Mahajanathavata vasa bonnatai wenne. Daenatamath ehi lakunu pahalawela/ paehaedhili. MARAVIN SILVA ge kaaranaya hondha nidhasunaki. Ada api muhunapa thibena prashna visadhannata, kaemaeththen ho akamaeththen vuvadha, owunta (JVP ekata) sahaya/ upakara dhiya yuthuyi. [18 vaeni sanshodhanaya naemaethi “MARU UGULEN” Mavubima beraganimu/ aaraksha karagamu/ Surakimu.] RATA GAENA SITHANNA.
Will there be an end to this (hell-ish) situation? When will it be? When will SL revert to the era when people lived in Peace and Happiness?? When is the “expiry date” of our Maha Rajathuma?
Was there an era of Peace and happiness in SL? Maybe that was before 1948. The masters gave the donkeys a chance to sit in the cart instead of pulling it. Now the cart is going downhill.
I fully agree with Zorro.New development is now we are talking about how to stop this anti democratic move.But now some of the UNP MPs are ready to vote for him.Reasons behind their decisions and real intensions are unknown.But I anm not saying we are helpless.No dictator or democratically elected murderer can continue to stay in power and abused the citizens of that country.In long time back British has decided to abolish or limit power of the monarchy and because of that we got this parlimentary system.
Many countries in the going forward with vesting their powers towards people.In our country we cannot do anything correctly even with Pradeshiya Sabhawa.You will be dissappeared tommorow.This is not democracy>If somebody can manupulate the MPS by giving them money,perks and peaks, threatning to take legal actions for their past doing is ok as far as if it is only between them.But as True citizens I dont think we can allow anyone to use his tricks to manipulate MPs and amend the present constitution for his and his henchmens own benefit.Then we have to be dead and let them have this country!
UNP ,JVP and all opposition parties ,including TNA and Tamils must support in the upcoming events to stop this move.That is the only way we can go forward. We need developmen,we need jobs, GSP +, International support in eliminating Poverty, we need good education, infra structure……….NOT THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT!. We all know that this constitution must amend.But not for the need of Mahinda Rajapakse.Security Forces also must help in preventing this anti democratic move immediately.
SLFP-Stalwarts_Is this the only fellow who can rule Sri Lanka?
He’s been leading SLFP only 5 years. I think you misdirected the question, you should instead have asked ‘UNP stalwarts….is RW the only man(???) in your party?’
Mr president why sacrifice your popularity ,accepannce,for a pot of mess
Believe in Democracy and Freedom! What Ghandi did to British in 1948? No one is above the law , and no one can have the power over people of that country! Believe in DEMOCRACY!
RAJA HORA THOTA HENA WADINNA ONE ME RATA HURAGANA KANAWATA PARAYA.