(Lanka-e-News -17.March.2015, 8.40PM) Maithripala Sirisena who fielded as a common candidate at the last presidential election signed agreements with 48 organizations including the citizens force and parties in the run up to the presidential elections to abolish the executive presidency powers, and not to curtail it. If the present SLFP is now opposing this abolition , why did Maithripala take over the post of president of that party ? Besides , by Maithripala accepting the party president post after having known from that time that the UPFA was in favor of continuing with the executive presidency, it is he who is responsible for creating this unnecessary , unwarranted and untoward issue , said Gamini Viyagoda , popular author and convener of Citizens force organization.
Viyangoda made these comments when answering queries raised by Lanka e news in the wake of the opposition mounted by the JHU and SLFP against the abolition of the executive presidency. The Citizens force is a most powerful movement of the majority people that campaigned with dedication and commitment to make the common candidate Maithripala the president of the country. Speaking further , Gamini Viyangoda elaborated as follows :
''On the 8th of January we did not oppose Mahinda Rajapakse as a person , rather we opposed the executive presidency powers vested in him ,by exploitation of which the democratic values and Institutions which we so carefully preserved and protected since 1931 when we secured the right to franchise for all people , are being destroyed. It is towards this end , we signed agreements with Maithripala to support him. This is because it is the consensus even if Buddha were to become the executive president he would not be able to steer clear of evil. This is why from the outset we took the determined stand that this executive power shall be abolished. The 6.2 million people therefore cast their votes to abolish this evil executive presidency, and not just to curtail it.
5.7 million people voted in favor of SLFP for the continuance of the executive presidency. Nimal Sirpala represents that 5.7 million and not the majority 6.2 million people who are against it. On the other hand Maithripala Sirisena after winning elections on the majority -6.2 million people for abolition of executive presidency and becoming the president of the country took over also the leadership of 5.7 million in favor of its continuance . Now this 5.7 million are insisting on curtailing the executive presidency power and not abolishing it. This is the crux of the problem. When Maithripala secured the leadership of the SLFP, he said , it is in order to abolish the executive presidency , he took up the post of president of the SLFP so that he can win over the latter in favor of the abolition.
Hence , if Maithripala is now agreeing with the SLFP that is demanding the curtailment of executive presidency and not its abolition , then why did he took over the post of president of the party? On top of this to further compound the confusion , Maithripala yesterday took over the post of president of the UPFA which includes the diametrically deviant group comprised of Vasu, DEW, Weerawansa and Dinesh . In these circumstances , what is going to happen to the solemn promises and undertakings given by him to the people on which Mathripala emerged victorious on the 8 th ?
Sadly , it is the president who is the architect of his own misfortunes. But that does not mean the hard fought victory of the people, their hopes and aspirations cannot be permitted to go down the drain thereby. Amending the constitution by just trimming the executive presidency power a bit here and there while safeguarding the most vicious parts of it will not suffice.
This means there is no separation –the leader of the State , commanding chief of the forces and head of the government is the president . This means that when all these powers are centralized in the president , he is a dictator , no more no less. When such is the power concentration in the hands of one individual , these evil executive presidency powers will not be divested.
The president obtains a single consent on the people’s votes and the parliament obtains the consent on the votes of all the people in which case there is the power of the 225 members of the parliament as well as the power of the president .When the State leader is the president , and the head of the government becomes the prime minister representing the 225 members , a power balance between these two powers follows. But what is going to be done now is , not such a balance of power , it is a denial of the power of the 225 member parliament , and bringing that power under the president. Certainly , this cannot be allowed. No matter who the president is , the power of all the people represented in parliament cannot be subjugated to the unilateral power of the president.
The paramount importance of the agreement signed by Maithripala Sirisena , as presidential common candidate with 48 organizations and parties cannot be ignored or dismissed that simply by him or anybody else , although he might have signed an agreement with the JHU that the controversial powers alone will be eradicated . However with the other parties and the 48 organizations he signed the agreement to abolish executive presidency. Therefore he cannot escape from this grave responsibility or obviate this necessity . The people should see to it this does not happen and the escape route is blocked.''
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by (2015-03-17 15:15:34)
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pl don't drag Lord Buddha in to this type of arguments. Not only Lord Buddha even Lord Jesus Prophet Mohamed are far more knowledgeable than this so called intellectual/s. Don't allow others to see your ignorance.
-- by Sunil on 2015-03-17
