Fonseka On Democracy
Fonseka handing his manifesto to Ranil. Photo from Perambara
There’s one part of Sarath Fonseka’s Manifesto (Google Doc/PDF) that really got my attention. He’s proposed some really bold steps to restore democracy which fundamentally amount to following the law. He’s said that he’ll appoint the Constitutional Council and all the Independent Commissions that flow from it. I think this will stem a lot of the institutional rot that pervades the country, and he could do it on day one. Sounds good.
To quote from my forthcoming Sunday Leader column (unless they cut it for space):
The shamelessness of this election campaign is really a symptom of a deeper problem. We have no oversight because there is no Elections Commission. We have no Elections Commission because there is no Constitutional Council to appoint it. We have no Constitutional Council because the President hasn’t followed the Constitution and set one up.
This rot pervades all our institutions and makes life unpredictable and hard. That’s why I was pumped to read that Fonseka’s first act will be to reactivate the 17th amendment, appoint the Constitutional Council and set up Independent Commissions. He will also dissolve the jumbo cabinet, dissolve Parliament and amend the Emergency Regulations. Then he’ll try to amend the Constitution to abolish the Executive Presidency. It’s a clean sweep, and I think it’s about time.
I’m amazed at how pumped I was to read about just following the law. I think Mahinda’s campaign is symptomatic of how he runs the country. Trishaw Democracy if you will. Fuck everything, just win. That’s fine for limited tasks, but it’s not really replicable for sustained growth. He can drop a port or a power plant somewhere, but if you don’t devolve power that development doesn’t cascade. It doesn’t create jobs or opportunities. For that you need stable institutions and laws. With the base institution of security I guess we can grow, but I think we can grow more if we have law and order beyond that.
This is why I’m becoming more and more impressed with Fonseka. He says
The challenge facing us is to restore democracy by abolishing the Executive Presidency that is paving the way for a dictatorial regime. My first act upon assuming office will be to reactiviate the 17th Amendment to the Constitution by appointing the Constitutional Council for the re-establishment of the Independent Commissions.
I will then dismantle the jumbo cabinet and invite all parties presently representing Parliament to nominate members to my caretaker cabinet. I will then dissolve Parliament. Urgent cabinet papers will then be brought forward to amend Emergency regulations. Within a month cabinet papers will be presented for the approval of a Constitution Amendment Bill to abolish the Executive Presidency, and Abolition of the Press Council Bill and a Freedom of Information Bill.
I will also take necessary steps to ensure that the most free-and-fair elections in Sri Lanka will be held under my caretaker cabinet. I expect the new Bills to be presented to the new Parliament within one month.
After abolishing the Executive Presidency I will continue to work as President with the support of the Parliament for the nation and the people.
I don’t quite get the last line, is that like a non-executive Presidency? Is that like the Chief Of Defence Staff, and will he run for UN Secretary General if he doesn’t like it? Besides that it sounds great. I took my damn time but I really didn’t know the man at all. I’ve decided and I’m voting for Fonseka.
Fonseka will emerge like a knight in shining armour, and take Mother Lanka to glory, glory , glory! His faith in democracy is so totally awesome, and he has no streaks of a dictator whatsoever. He will definately dissolve the jumbo cabinet, dissolve parliament and amend the emergency regulations. Then he’ll try to amend the Constitution to abolish the Executive Presidency. Then he’ll fight corruption and jail half the UNP and the JVP! Then he’ll hand over all his power to Ranil Wickremasinghe and Sri Lanka will rise like a phoenix from the ashes, touching the sky and beyond!
Great post Indi, and look forward to the forthcoming column. But when you say ‘he says….’ …. well, he doesn’t really… it is, for the most part, the more politically savvy, political thinkers, that are backing him ….. nevertheless, if they can do it…then that’s all that matters right?
I think Fonseka will be a puppet of Mangala and Ranil.
I hope something good will come out at the end of all this. I like the facial expression on Somawanse. I hope by now he would have realized that UNP and Tamil politicians are humans too and they have all the rights to fight for their political ideologies.
Erm, the most imporatnt factor is that Sarath had had absolutely NO POSITION AT ALL in a public institution and no taste in democracy what so EVER. NEVER. Leading a army and leading a country are two entirely diffrent things. The goals he set are VERY VERY unrealistic and shows that he is a complete amature in politics.
Indi, this is where living in SL does not make you a Sri Lankan . You lack the complete contextutal situation. You inability to contextulise the written word to the lived situation and politics makes you look like a comlpete idiot in these discussions[ I know that you are not an idiot]
Ask you father as to how long it look the last time for such a HUGE change. He would know.
This is where SF becomes a puppet as he has no understanding of the political system and the civil service.
Under SF we wil have a MILITARY government and is that what we want for Sri Lanka ?
Sarath Fonseka can at least say those things. Can Mahinda do it? Forget about enacting the 17th Amendment(not enacting it is like ripping a paper from the constitution and pooping on it). Can Mahinda simply say “I will protect democracy?”….If being Sri Lankan means having to put up with family bandyism, nepotism and despotism and corruption and tyranny and all that, why should we even be Sri Lankan?….Voting for Fonseka is risky. But Mahinda made me take that risk.
I am not a big fan of Mahinda’s governing style or his socialism and agree with you that he has many weaknesses. Yet, I respect this man and strongly believe that out of all the leaders we had in our life time, he was the best. Simply because of the following reasons:
In our life time he is the only leader who managed to rally a nation under one flag. For those Colombo boys and girls who are too shy to identify themselves with Sri Lankan values/ identity look at the cultures you people admire the most, Americans, Germans, Japans, etc, they all are proud of their country, they all are proud of their flag, they all are proud of their identity, so what’is wrong with Sri Lankans embracing their own identity. Hats off to Mahinda for bringing that nationalism back to our country.
When you look back at all the past leaders, they all took major decisions with short term goals in their minds. JR- that crazy constitution/July 83. Premadasa-sending Indian Forces back in a rush, Ranil- giving part of his own fucking country to a terrorist group with a signed document, Chandrika- Basically doing nothing (probably the most useless leader we ever had). Whether you like it or not some of the decisions Mahinda took will have a positive impact on our children (like deciding to eliminate terrorism, initiating projects like Noritchiveli, Kottmelle, Major Highways, Hambanthota harbour against local political wills)
Unlike the other leaders he really knew when to say fuck off to some of the world leaders when they tried to medal in our own affairs. Hats off to Mahinda for that. Some may criticise this as bad foreign policy, screw it…World is changing and we no longer have to go sucking up to the west. If we create a socially and politically stable background investors will come to us.
There are lot people like me who are simply not yet ready to write off Mahinda as a useless, corrupt terrible leader just because his brother purchased 3000 acres of coconut estate or another brother bought a television Channel or another brother purchased shares of a major private hospital. Those are insignificant to what he has given to our future generations. Governments will eventually change and leaders will come and go and as nothing is permanent, but we will always remember Mahinda as the leader who put an end to that mindless killing game which ruined best part of our life time.
I am not a big fan of Mahinda’s governing style or his socialism and agree with you that he has many weaknesses. Yet, I respect this man and strongly believe that out of all the leaders we had in our life time, he was the best. Simply because of the following reasons:
In our life time he is the only leader who managed to rally a nation under one flag. For those Colombo boys and girls who are too shy to identify themselves with Sri Lankan values/ identity look at the cultures you people admire the most, Americans, Germans, Japans, Chinese, etc, they all are proud of their country, they all are proud of their flag, they all are proud of their identity, so what’is wrong with Sri Lankans embracing their own identity. Hats off to Mahinda for bringing that nationalism back to our country.
When you look back at all the past leaders, they all took major decisions with short term goals in their minds. JR- that crazy constitution/July 83. Premadasa-sending Indian Forces back in a rush, Ranil- giving part of his own fu.king country to a terrorist group with a signed document, Chandrika- Basically doing nothing (probably the most useless leader we ever had). Whether you like it or not some of the decisions Mahinda took will have a positive impact on our children (like deciding to eliminate terrorism, initiating projects like Noritchiveli, Kottmelle, Highways, Hambanthota harbour against local political wills)
Unlike the other leaders he really knew when to say fu..k off to some of the world leaders when they tried to medal in our own affairs. Hats off to Mahinda for that. Some may criticise this as bad foreign policy, screw it…World is changing and we no longer have to go sucking up to the west. If we create a socially and politically stable background investors will come to us.
There are lot people like me who are simply not yet ready to write off Mahinda as a useless, corrupt, terrible leader just because his brother purchased 3000 acres of coconut estate or another brother bought a television Channel or another brother purchased shares of a major private hospital. Those are insignificant to what he has given to our future generations. Governments will eventually change and leaders will come and go and as nothing is permanent, but we will always remember Mahinda as the leader who put an end to that mindless killing game which ruined best part of our life time.
I am not a big fan of Mahinda’s governing style or his socialism and agree with you that he has many weaknesses. Yet, I respect this man and strongly believe that out of all the leaders we had in our life time, he was the best. Simply because of the following reasons:
In our life time he is the only leader who managed to rally a nation under one flag. For those Colombo boys and girls who are too shy to identify themselves with Sri Lankan values/ identity look at the cultures you people admire the most, Americans, Germans, Japans, Chinese, etc, they all are proud of their country, they all are proud of their flag, they all are proud of their identity, so what’is wrong with Sri Lankans embracing their own identity. Hats off to Mahinda for bringing that nationalism back to our country.
When you look back at all the past leaders, they all took major decisions with short term goals in their minds. JR- that crazy constitution/July 83. Premadasa-sending Indian Forces back in a rush, Ranil- giving part of his own fucking country to a terrorist group with a signed document, Chandrika- Basically doing nothing (probably the most useless leader we ever had). Whether you like it or not some of the decisions Mahinda took will have a positive impact on our children (like deciding to eliminate terrorism, initiating projects like Noritchiveli, Kottmelle, Highways, Hambanthota harbour against local political wills)
Unlike the other leaders he really knew when to say fuck off to some of the world leaders when they tried to medal in our own affairs. Hats off to Mahinda for that. Some may criticise this as bad foreign policy, screw it…World is changing and we no longer have to go sucking up to the west. If we create a socially and politically stable background investors will come to us.
There are lot people like me who are simply not yet ready to write off Mahinda as a useless, corrupt and terrible leader just because his brother purchased 3000 acres of coconut estate or another brother bought a television Channel or another brother purchased shares of a major private hospital. Those are insignificant to what he has given to our future generations. Governments will eventually change and leaders will come and go and as nothing is permanent, but we will always remember Mahinda as the leader who put an end to that mindless killing game which ruined best part of our life time.
Fantasies are great. Should enjoy it while it lasts.
PLEASE change your photo in your Sunday Leader column. I am sure you have plenty of better ones.
We shall live in fantasies until the election day, come back to reality and vote for Mahinda, then live in hell for 8 years.
What is the guarantee we will live in heaven for 8 years if SF wins???
There’s none. But we do have a guarantee that we’ll live in hell for the next 8 years should we vote for Mahinda.
Are you sure life in Sri Lanka today is worst than pre -2005. If I could remember correct, at that time we were having a negative economic growth, 8 hours of power cuts, riots in universities, Stock market was down, bombs were going off in every corner, check points were everywhere, No tourist arrivals.
I don’t know what your definition of hell is, but just today New York Time named Sri Lanka as the No # 1 destination to travel in 2010. I don’t know about you but I am very proud of it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html
Are you sure we are really going down like Zimbabwe or are we seeing some clear development goals to be the power house in South Asia???
[redacted]
removed this comment cause it’s off topic, for linking to news articles and stuff why not start a blog
Chandana. True. I don’t deny there is Economic development. True. This is a great place for a white tourist to travel ( especially if they don’t use public trasportation). But I ask you the question I ask all the time. Can an ordinary person say no if Mervyn Silva asked him to wipe his (Mervyn’s) ass?
I hate Mervyn Silva as much as any right thinking decent person would be. How did he come into existence, it’s because of that stupid women Chandrika (sorry, I have absolutely no respect for her) brought Mervyn through National List. Lefroy, unless we all get together and replace this proportional representation system we are all screwed. If you need a real change we truly need to go back to pre-77 electoral system where constitute elect a member and if he crosses over to the other side he loses his seat and face a by-election. I am a true believer that answers to most of present day dark side of politics lies in this crazy constitution. Countries should be able to change their governing parties from time to time and for us to move forward we need majority governments. I am sick and tired of these extreme parties like JVP,JHU,CWC,etc setting agendas for majority of us.
And I didn’t say we live in heaven before 2005.
Chandana. The fact that Mervyn is still at large has absolutely nothing to do with any fault of the constitution. We all saw what happened in Rupavahini. There ARE enough laws and evidence to send him to gaol. He’s still out there simply because he’s Mahinda’s pet poodle and Mahinda is protecting him. We all know that…I know that most SLFPers are ashamed of Mervyn, because generally, they are decent people. But what to do? The boss is protecting the guy…Chandana. What I’m talking about is much larger than Mervyn. I’m talking about the government’s ability to crush a man/woman. SL governments have always crushed people. But don’t you think that this administration has become a little too powerful in the last 2, 3 years for the well being of the average, sarong wearing, citizen?