Much More Mahinda
Mahinda’s clones are already maturing. Election poster, Hambantota
Mahinda has got a two thirds majority in Parliament and is using it to extend his term. This is not because he was necessarily so powerful, it was more because the opposition was so weak. Mahinda told Ranil that he was going for an Executive Prime Ministership, invited Ranil to Temple Trees, gave him a new car, visited Ranil’s mother in hospital. Then he turned around and stole two Tamil MPs (got them to cross). Ranil was like ‘harumph’ and went back to meet Mahinda again. Then Mahinda patted him on the back and stole eight Muslim MPs, enough for the two thirds. Now he’s tabled a revocation of term limits for President and a President who also goes to Parliament. One could say this is all Ranil’s fault, but it’s also the fault of people like Sajith for not having the courage to wrench the opposition leadership away.
Aside from apportioning blame, however, there is a broader point that Mahinda Rajapaksa clearly intends to hold and consolidate power for not the next six years but at least the next twelve. Which is a bit rough. I think Mahinda is actually doing a pretty good job right now, but he is incurring debts and feudalizing institutions in a way that, while functional in good times, rapidly becomes trouble in the bad. The sad thing is that even if his popularity drops, he has already shown an eagerness to use state resources (including the military) in the course of elections and dislodging him will be mara difficult.
One argument I’ve heard against term limits is that if people want to vote for him, then why not? Which makes some sense, though counteracted by Mahinda’s abuse of power during elections. The best argument I’ve heard for term limits is CBK. Someone once told me that if not for term limits, Chandrika Bandaranaike would have run again. Or JR. Yet those guys did have to leave. And that was good.
On a broader theoretically level, humans need to die, businesses need to crash, the old need to make way for the new. Max Planck once said “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” I think the same is true of political truth.
For instance, to have a real and honest accounting of the war, we need a government not directly involved in it. To have any sort of honest panel, it would need to be in the future by a government not investigating itself. If Mahinda serves indefinitely and then passes on power through his family, that accounting will never come. Now, our current constitution (like most) has a stopgap against this calcification, which Mahinda is trying to remove.
This, however, is only one part of Mahinda’s proposed constitutional change. The broader point is not the specific points but the broader intent. What is Mahinda’s intent in redrafting the constitution? Is it to solve the ethnic problem? Is it to reduce the cruft that JR introduced? Or is it simply to entrench his own power. I fear it is the latter, and that is a wrong reason to redraft a national constitution.
The current constitution, as much as I cite it, is crap. I cite because it’s important to ground oneself in some sort of legal framework, but that constitution is largely written with a man in mind, not a nation. That man is JR, and his Constitution, while serving him well, has been a national FAIL. It is not what it does, but what it couldn’t do, and the fact that it has been ignored and over-ridden most of its existence. While the man was there the thing functioned, but when he was gone it faded like the emperor’s new clothes.
This needs to be fixed, but the solution isn’t to give the new emperor new clothes. That, I fear, is what Mahinda’s constitutional intent is, and that can cause generational problems. The point of a constitution is not to give the emperor new clothes but to give the people armor. It is, in fact, curious that Mahinda is redrafting the Constitution during a period of Emergency Law where peoples constitutional rights are effectively curtailed, or given at the governments whim.
This new Constitution looks more like the product of mens greed than anything else. Ranil’s greed for power gave Mahinda the MPs he needed and Mahinda’s greed for power has given the Constitution its vital form not as a document constituting a nation but as a document empowering one man. Ranil and Mahinda are, in their own abusive way, the mother and father of this new republic and I fear that it will bear a family resemblance to them both.
This article is syndicated from the author’s blog at www.indi.ca by permission.
Para balla managed to get the required 2/3 majority. Now the criminal family can stole the whole country. Western countries are already taking necessary measures to arrest the war criminal Mr.Gothanay Rajapaksa. Now they will try to act against this para balla too.
Ane Palayan Ban Yanna. Mata umbagavin koti gandha tikaka enawa. Umbala kochhara gerewwath umbalage maruna lokkata pana denna baa.
I don’t know whether he is alive or not. The day our leader took his gun every one including him self know that he will embrace his death in a battle front like a hero. He is not a coward like others who order others to go to the battle front and die for them. Praba was not worried of his death. However he would have been worried that he is dying without wiping out the predator that has the agenda to kill as many minorities as possible. Any way now the whole world has realised that Sri Lankan government is a state terrorist and I guess you know the recent court decision in New Zealand. Even though in New Zealand LTTE is banned court has concluded last week that aiding LTTE and their fight is legitimate. Most of the media black out this news item as per the killer Gotha’s instruction. Best wishes!!
For sure, rich NZ Diaspora must have bribed NZ SC Judges to have this decision.
Praba was a terrorist and nothing else. He architectured and consolidated his power by killing all other political voices of Tamils just to be become the MR of Tamils, to hold power over the Tamils if possible for ever, that’s why he wanted to be praised the “father of Eelam” or “the sun god”. What a pity? Now you see that Tamils do suffer under an immense political vacuum like never before because of this terrorist, who himself killed thousands of his brethern. This megalomaniac of a terrorist and his dump followers living in the west was and is not capable of organizing a political future for Tamils in Sri Lanka and the blind and comfortable diaspora is equally liable along with the chauvinistic majority governments all along since 1948 for the plight of Tamils living in Sri Lanka. Open your eyes and see in what a pathetic state we are in today.
thought the fat pig was an absolute coward he tried to run away on a red cross jeep!! HAHA
I guess it’s because the whole world has “realised that Sri Lankan government is a state terrorist” that the U. S. engaged in military operations with Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan troops work with the UN in areas like Haiti and no trade sanctions have been put on Sri Lanka and European countries have expressed their desire to have good relations with Sri Lanka.. lol…
Very hard to bribe NZ judges. Not the same as in Lanka. Many government people benefit from the diaspora bribing their way out of the country from soldiers to parliamentarians.
Mr.Bani The Sunday Leader is public news paper not your own property. There for you have to study how to write your comment’s do not use bitter word’s not fair.
I wish the UNP will get rid of its dear leader. Please for gods sake hasnt he done enough. Fool me once shame on you Fool me twice shame on who? Put Karu in charge or Young Premadasa or even Ravi K is good enough. You have choices make one!
Apoi! Karu is the best among the rotten apples. Even he is half-rotten because he was the Ali Baba who took 40 thieves with him to the opposite side and weakened the UNP. Young Premadasa? You want another era of terror and midnight knocks on the door? Ravi K? What for? To make the country further bankrupt with commis deals and selling CWE Takaran to the Indians? Might as well go along with the ruling thieves.
Mr. Karu and Mr. Ravi both of crossover’s to Mr. Karu, time has come to go home however Mr. Ravi can stay some more time in the battle front.
I think Karu the Sarongkaraya is the best choice eventhough he is no match to the Mahinda Chinthanaya.
SINGLE PARTY SYSTEM
Well, all UNP members and their supporters are just dreaming! For any nation to prosper you need a strong and intelligent opposition. If a leader fails to win elections once or twice then he has a moral and an ethical obligation to resign from the post so that another able person can lead and win an election. It’s the honourable thing to do. Years later Ranil’s legacy will be seen as the most failed UNP leader in our history. He should be held accountable for the failure of UNP. Those members who are crossing over want to be with a “WINNER” not with a “LOSER” On the other hand MR is so lucky to have a person like Ranil as an opposition leader so that he can do what ever he wants now.
Very soon when UNP runs out of members and supporters Sri Lanka will become a “one party” nation with MR as the Supreme Leader. We can then ask the single party state of China to fine tune our system!
WHO & WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER?
Check the below link and then compare our own leaders Government and Opposition with this TV cast ( you need sound )
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/
All SLFP’ers should save the party from MR, all UNP’ers should save the party from RW. This is 2 sides of the anti-democracy coin.
Aren’t we all making a major assumption here ? He can’t extend his term unless we VOTE him in ?
Or are the elections fixed anyway ?
May I propose that Mahinda Jarapaksa should be given life long absolute power because of courageous decisions, judgements, statesmanship, honesty, integrity such as
1. mervyn the rabid human- not guilty for what ever he does
2. Mervyn’s initial deputy minister post in Media- for assulting journalists, TV station humiliation etc
3. KP- for providing super luxury for thousands of crimes
4.SF- for prison sentence for saving the country
5. For spending more than Rs 5 billion for his vehicles when people are suffering with out food, shelter
6. For providing unparalal family fortunes to the clan
7. for controlling more than 70% of contries wealth by the clan etc etc etc
He sees no evil, hears no evil as he is the evil !!!
Thamange deshapaalana paksha valatath, thamantath pera, RATA GAENA SITHIYA YUTHUYI. 18 vaeni sanshodhanaya naemaethi MARA UGULEN Mavubima bera ganimu.
This is not total fault of Ranil
The idiots in UNP who avoided the formation of common oposition for the last election must take the full responsibility. If not MR never get the majority to change the constitution. Sorry Sajith u are one of them and it is too late now.
You are right man.
Mahinda went about grabbing power for eternity in a cold and calculating manner.First he grabbed greedy legislators from the other side. Then he did big favors to the children of the chief and his deputy, both ultimate deciders, a state residence in a developed country. One, the daughter of one of them, to continue studies and the son of the other married to her, a soft job in the SL mission in the same country. Both deciders were given unnecessary trips under the guise of learning their expertise. A third decider’s husband was given a top post in a top corporation. Thus he made three deciders indebted to him.
Then he gave the top job and trips to the man who tells them how to decide.
His siblings hijacked the election chief for more than 24 hours, a few hours after the poll in which he fought a general, to enable ‘favourable’ counting. This man had earlier prevented thousands from polling.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=8600
His sidekicks continue Ranil Bashing to turn peoples’ attention away from these maneuvres – and are succeding!
As you say, the emergency keeps mouths mum lest white vans come.
Thus he is on his ultimate achievement for a life long reign.
These majority stupids can sell the land to China and India for money but cant give proper rights to Tamils who live in north and east before the independence… If you see the history of palastines and Jews (Israel), at one period Palastines killed Jews in large numbers and invade their territory. But see the map now… Israels have recaptured the majority of the land with the support of western countries. Now Tamils are doing the right thing (being close with western countries) Tamils will turn it around one day like Israels did….
You do realize that Israel is not supported by the West other than the United States and Sri Lanka has the military capabilities of Israel in relation to the area?
Wait another 1000 years like the Jews and hopefully there’ll be another World War where the Tamils this time are targeted. Then you’ll get your promised land.
TAMILS WILL NOT TURN IT AROUND BUT CREATE ANOTHER BLOOD BATH.
ONLY OPTION TAMILS HAVE IS A PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE THROUGH SINCERERITY.
MAJORITY HAVE BEEN REMORSEFUL FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND SINCE 1983 WITH SO MUCH PROVOCATION THE MAJORITY REMAINED CALM. THIS IS AMPLE TESTIMONY.
WHAT MORE REASSUARANCE TAMILS NEED ?
WEST HAVE HIDDEN MOTIVES. THEY WANT TO CREATE EELAM LIKE HOW THEY PLANTED JEWS & BACKED THEM TO CONTROL THE REGION.
THEY CREATE SATTALITE STATES TO CONTROL REGIONS.
IF IT DID NOT HAPPEN NOW, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
FURTHER, THERE IS NO LTTE & AS LONG AS UNP IS IN THE OPPOSITION THERE IS NOBODY TO SELL THE COUNTRY TO THE WEST. RANIL IS A CURSE.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE INDEPENDENCE, KARTHIK YOU DIRECT IT TO THE BRITISH.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER INDEPENDENCE WAS TO SHOW TAMILS THAT THEY CAN NOT HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
LIVE AND LET LIVE.
JVP and LTTE caused many govts unpopular. JVP and LTTE have been successfully crushed by govts and we have to give them credit. Terrorisms can be handled only with their way. When they kill innocent people govt cannot just watch them.
That is not the problem. All govt s which tackled terrorisms have showen that they are unable to return back to civil administrations.
Ranils is a useless case. Any donkey can take him for a ride. He falls many times in the hole irrespective of the time of the day. UNP to win and masses to vote – first thing he should resign. He is like a greedy hog. Under the future system he might not get even tget he leader of opposition. It will go to a tamil party. How can get rid of this idiot.