Electing the general as president would be a decidedly a risky adventure
by Atticus
It is said that large sections of the country —-people from different communities, religions, classes, regions, occupations and gender —-are supporting the General at the Presidential elections. Why is this so? Is it that the public mood, at least among the affluent, the educated bourgeoisie and urban workers, is for change in the way the country is run?
Is there a feeling, conditioned by 500 years of foreign rule and the open economy in recent decades, that post-war peace and prosperity require a set of more western-oriented values and qualities than that held by Mahinda Rajapakse, who is too committed to home grown ways of doing things, and too imbued by the Nation’s 2500 years of traditions and customs?
Interestingly, the JVP appears to have buried their martyrs for good and have come out strongly in praise of western bourgeois rights, freedoms and values.
So why has one doubts about the General’s suitability to become the next Executive President? The reasons for these misgivings are not hard to enumerate.
The General is without a party. It is the Coalition that sponsored him that is mobilizing support for him in the country, and controls his words in public, his actions and his policies. He reflects the Coalition consensus. Where there is none—-an example is the 13th Amendment—-he says nothing whatever his personal views may be. When he talks out of turn his minders in the Coalition make him repudiate his statements e.g. implicating the Defense Secretary and Army Commanders of War crimes. If the Coalition has its way the General seems destined to be in office but not in power.
The General has embraced as his key sponsors those who are on record as reviling and ridiculing him when he was Army Commander. He is now at one with his erstwhile opponents. He has turned his back on those who made him what he was and enabled him to become a War Hero. Worse still he has buried many ideas and views he believed in before, as Army Commander. Then, he advocated a large increase in the armed forces after the War was over. This and many other views have disappeared without trace from his vocabulary. Do the General’s chameleon like qualities command trust?
His Coalition consists of parties, with the exception of the JVP, who sought a negotiated peace with Prabharkaran, a perfectly legitimate view to hold. But the General, as Army Commander, fully subscribed to the President’s singular determination to "fight to the finish" and destroy the LTTE once and for all militarily. He is now said to have made a string of promises to the TNA, the long time surrogates for the LTTE. "My enemy’s enemies are my friends" seems to be the message. Unwittingly no doubt, the General is sowing the seeds for the re-emergence of separatism. Not one Tamil party that courageously opposed the LTTE supports him.
Another negative for the General is the total lack of political experience to be the President, let alone the Executive President, of the country. Some have expressed the view that 40 days of political experience is no disqualification to challenge the incumbent President with 40 years of political experience. Few would give preference to a surgeon, a lawyer or any other professional with 40 days of experience over one with 40 years of experience at the top of his profession. Why is a General turned politician considered to be different?
The General has also been prone to be economical with the truth (the Mandarin’s language for lies). He has dissembled in public for example that no heavy weaponry was bought under the Rajapaksa presidency. Another is the claim of a conversation with an unnamed journalist purely to implicate his bête noire, the Defense Secretary, of war crimes. His speeches are flooded with boast (the real war hero), bombast (the ego is noticeable regarding military victories) and simulated triumphalism, not to speak of barrack room language at times.
Another negative is the likelihood of great instability in the country should the General become President. Heads would almost certainly roll far and wide in the armed forces, police and the public service with what consequences one does not know. Given the track record of some of his sponsors, the country would also be swamped with "aliens", from multifarious structures of the western international community, bearing gifts and telling the natives how the country should be organized and run. Tactically brilliant, the General has been made the instrument to deeply divide the home grown, mainly Buddhist, nationalist strand in the country. One can only speculate on the consequences.
What is of most concern is that the General might cause divisions in the armed forces. Up to the present, the armed forces have been totally under civilian control. The danger is that he would do what he knows best—a military man tightly controlling the armed forces. The politicization of the armed forces and the militarization of politics to provide the General a power base independent of his current political Coalition is a potential threat. Nobody knows whether or when he would try to break loose from the stranglehold of politicians and follow the road trodden in Pakistan with such disastrous results.
The content of the General’s manifesto, admittedly crafted in its entirety by politicians in his Coalition, can best be described as somewhat duplicitous. One says that advisedly because it appears that, knowingly, promises are being made that could, or would, not be implemented. Far from being a manifesto of Reliable Change it reads like a manifesto of Unreliable and Unbelievable Change. The list of individual promises from abolishing the Executive Presidency in one month through setting up a Constitutional Council, abolishing the Press Council Bill, amending the emergency regulations, establishing new regulations to combat fraud and corruption investigating judicial killings and disappearances right down to Women’s Rights Bill beggars belief that these promises can be delivered by the General. In addition there are a whole host of economic promises of which more anon.
Are these promises credible? The General, if elected, would have at best two months to deliver on his promises. After that there will be a General Election and a new scenario. As of now, his Coalition has no parliamentary majority. To assume otherwise is a matter of conjecture. Yet he issues a manifesto as if he would be head of Government for years ahead with a parliamentary majority to carry out his promises. He has now gone even further than the manifesto. He says defense, finance health, education and employment would be under his direct control. This latest may not amount to megalomania. Surely, it constitutes a rather troubling military trait that the General knows best in areas where he has no knowledge or experience?
Can the General deliver his promises much beyond the next General Election? What policies are implemented after the General Election, and how, depends on which Coalition holds the majority in Parliament. Decisions would be made by the leader of that Coalition and his parliamentary supporters and not by the General. It happened when Ranil Wickremasinghe was Prime Minister, who sidelined the Executive President without a parliamentary majority. Even more so under a General who would have at best little support on his own in Parliament.
The salient specifics of his 10 point programme show them to be promises of "magisterial vacuity". The General promises to abolish the Executive Presidency in one month without knowing whether he would have a parliamentary majority, let alone the required two-third majority in Parliament, to do so. Can he appoint the Constitutional Council without going through the procedure of obtaining a new list of nominees in the stipulated manner? Has he the powers by fiat to abolish the Press Council Bill and amend the Emergency Resolutions, and establish the institutional framework to eliminate fraud and corruption without parliamentary approval?
The one area the General can act administratively if elected President (and is Finance Minister) pending the General Election is to implement temporarily the economic promises he has made in his Manifesto. The cost of these promises is staggering. The increase in budgetary expenditure exceeds Rs 300 billion a year not counting the contingent liabilities on pensions. The loss of revenue would be in the tens of billions a year. The giveaways imply a budget deficit of 11% of GDP in 2010 compared with the IMF Loan Agreement commitment of 6.5%.
The consequences of the implementation of the General’s economic policies for the state and non-state sectors would be immediate—-inflation and the cost of living increasing sooner than later, exports becoming uncompetitive, a consumption induced rise in imports, a widening imbalance in the current account, a flight of capital, a balance of payments crisis in the offing and a continuous fall in the value of the rupee against other currencies.
Many of the General’s supporters among the business community, the affluent and the thinking Middle Sri Lanka should ask themselves whether his economic policies risk their own interests and the economic well being of the country. Their belief in "Vote the General, Get Ranil" and, consequently, the economic programme would be implemented in a prudent manner over time is a gamble. The JVP, the architects of the General’s economic package, may well hold the General to his promises before the General Election.
Electing the General as President would be a leap in the dark, a voyage in unchartered, rocky waters, a decidedly risky adventure. Continuity and Change rather than Regime Change is the safer and better option.
15 Comments
Atticus, you are an apologist of the MR regime. You are vomiting what we have eaten and digested. Write something new.
Do you expect the General to carry the inflated Cabinet and also continue the Food Emporium at Temple Trees? Do you expect the General to continue build flyovers and undertake projects the way the President has done.
We are voting for him to relieve us from all this excess flab that will never help greater Sri Lanka. If he only does that and have no more than five good advisers as opposed 180, I think he will achieve a better future for us than MR's 6 year plan to achieve the remaining 5% of Mahinda Chintana 1+. There is an apt saying: "Nala Waren" (Come after a bath)
Any body see Dayan J's watermark in this article? What a relentless flagwaving!
Have the guts to put your own name at the bottom of such rubbish !
Atticus is To Kill a Mockingbird's most upright character, representing the moral ideal of both a lawyer and a human being: he is brutally honest, highly moral, a tireless crusader for good causes (even hopeless ones), a virtual pacifist and, for the most part, devoid of any of the racial or class prejudices afflicting the other citizens. He goes to great pains to instruct his children on the importance of being open-minded, judicious, generous neighbors and citizens. He defends the innocent party.
However in this case is trying to defend a despot, who cannot contest a fair and free election and is trying to retain power by hook or by crook.
"Electing the SF as a President is a risky adventure'is an underestimate.It is a deadliest thing.
If a person become President with hatred,revenge and grudge, the country facing dark time again.
The supporters of SF have their own hidden agendas.SF wants to take revenge from MR and Gota by sending them to international court . Ranil wants to be a executive PM. Mangala wants to take revenge from MR too. JVP knew that they are facing extintion from SL political arena. So if they want to keep their parliament seats[at least half] in next general election, they need to hang up with UNP. And TULF need to revive LTTE ghosts again.
So SF become President in SL it is deadliest to country and people.
What Atticus is suggesting is to continue with the same! Wot?? 120 cabinet, hedging losses, more Mervin Silvas son on... for another 6 years! Get lost Atticus!
MR is a gret Leader and a president. Look at him, very freindly and likability factor is there.He reminds me of JFK. Most of the Politicians are liars and corrupt.But the allegations against MR are baseless.
SF,looks lean and hungry .Such men are dangerous. Look at him. No presidential material. Whonis this man ? He is atraitor, who betrayed the country.Ranil looks lean and hugry. Such men are dangerous.
Actually I am not against MR
But I am against his useless Jumbo cabinet
Health and Education ministries are the useless for ever
did MR fevering MP’s told anything useful to county or the people in this election campaign other than throwing mud to opposition
We can’t believe on cross over MP. actually present government running by UNP ministers
So let SF to become President and chase of all the thugs from the parliament
The writer is fully suspecting personals in Arm forces.If anyone read world wide articles, you may come across many leaders of forces have built countries.
General SF is a person who was about to scarify his life while in duty to safeguard the country. Also when we see and read his print and electronic media stuffs we can easily identify the charector well .
He is a genuine human being and he knows the area of democracy economy ,religion and other aspect very well. However majority of all communities are with him. It is 1000% sure that he will rebuild the country and reinstate the lost democracy and prosperity.
MR never gave a govt of democratic rule. It was all about Rajapaksas and their families. He tried to put a Rajapaksa in every province as a Nilame and he was half successful and now he has to face the wrath of the people for transplanting his unqualified family goons in high offices. This must me stopped at any cost by wise Sri Lankans because our country need not revert back to a medieval kingdom.
General SF is an unknown person to politics. So what? We know why Rajapaksa brought this election 2 years early and if elected how MR's family and other lubbers will continue pilfering foreign aid and loans while destroying anybody who tried to stand on their way. If MR is to be elected we will only see a devastation of our motherland with many Mervyns, many Gotas, many Basils and many Namals in action intimidating and killing those who question their illegal acts. They are not only deserved to be thrown out but most importantly to recover all looted resources and property during last four years.
This is a rare opportunity for a major change and to stop corrupt family run career politics in Sri Lanka. We all should be brave to cease the moment and elect someone who has been undoubtedly ready to give his life for this country instead of running away for safety like Gota and other cowards and opportunistic crooks in MR govt did. We all should wish for a new era for Sri Lanka without MR goons and thugs. Jayawewa to Fonseka!
Some experts tend to forget that our country was once
led by a woman who turned out to be the world's first
woman prime minister.When she started,she was called
"woman from the kitchen".At least this forty days man
was commanding the army that protected the MR govt and the country.He was commanded by the authority to finish it and he finished it.Now,he asks the people to give him the command directly to finish what he labels corruption,nepotism,despotism,favouritism and many other untold undemocratic elements that are standing in the way to prosperity, via one country concept embracing all communities.How on earth this man who was some six months ago found on the battlefield suddenly got ended up in a different field.Clearly MR made all this happen.MR can not escape only with war credit and leaving the chaos to someone else.If the war victory belongs only to him,then the post war conditions come along with it.MR is trying to fool the people all the time because he strongly believe in it as a strategy.Those who try to judge on SF should first focus on MR behaviour before,during and after war.He was on a hundred percent communal line.He put his job security first before everything.That's why we have a presidential election today instead of two years late.His job is not secure in two years.He knows this fully well.He had everything he wanted,to clean
finish war scars.Instead he left the debris for the victims to live with and rushed for his job security. This can not be denied by anyone.So,in a nutshell,MR is in his own net.This is not a piece of certificate to credit SF we don't know about.But we know MR and what he is good at.He used people's money to buy members from UNP by offering them ministries under pretext of supporting war.War was a pretext because even after six months of conclusion of war,spree continues.He uses his power largely to crush opposition instead of other development initiatives.All these actions of this man MR have contributed to,what's unfolding in the once peaceful paradise.It's utter nonsense to tell the people and for the people to believe that the Tamil issue is over and never raise it's head.Everybody forgets one thing that the Tamil people learned to suffer and suffer violently during thirty long years.If immediate relief from this sufferings were not forthcoming,we might be pushed to see more episodes before too long.Therefore this should not have been an election time but genuine nation building time.Who missed it? MR did it.Wrong moves by a 40 yrs expert to stand with a broiler of so called 40 days.Win or lose MR and his band is digging in deep.
The armed forces are already divided. Some fear soon it will be divided into factions other than regimental - even by caste. Some of the election-related killings that took place recently were committed by army deserters - and there are over 30,000 of them nation-wide and without sufficient recourse to an adequate livelihood. These are all the negatives of not settling the National Question earlier. When a wound remains untreated in due time it fests and breeds other more serious ills. That's roughly the achievement of our majority leaders from the mid-1950s. What do we have now? Another group is getting ready - and recording alarming birth rates - to lay claim for territory with absolutely no historical or any other rational basis whatsoever. The only claim being they are in numbers more than 250% of what they were 100 years ago.
The post January 26 scenario is no cause for celebration. As a highly respected Delhi political scientist - advisor to several Indian governments - noted recently "the likelihood of a blood-bath post-Presidential Election is frightening" I hope he's wrong.
ISS
Hello Lee Harper,
Dayan J's watermark?Actually this garbage was a work by Dayan,for reasons only best known to him he does not want to identify himself.
Cheers,
Siva.
Well, imagine a hypothetical situation where SF wins and as promised offers to do away with executive presidency etc. after General Elections seeking a two third majority of the Parliament. The UPFA keeps on repeating that they would not have support from the opposition to vote this through. What does that mean? Would the UPFA oppose such a proposal even at the risk of suffering in the hands of SF? Does it mean that they are against democracy and they do not want to end the autoctacy and hope to eventually jump into the folds of the ruling faction and carry on with their hooliganism? I do not understand this logic.
Talking of logic I cannot also understand some of the arguments.
1. One minister said that SF should be shameless to be in the same platform with TNA members who acted as representatives of the LTTE and Mano Ganeshan who attended "Pongu Thamil" celebration for they are traitors to the nation whereas Karuna et al are patriots because they are with them!
2. Increasingly any Tamil suppporting SF is being branded as LTTE supporter meaning most Tamils are affiliated to LTTE. Is this a ruse to ignite communal hatred once again?
Tody's US was not in that part of the world three
centuries ago.Today's palestinians were not refugees
in their own land just sixty years ago.For people to live with their rights and dignity,they don't have to wait centuries until their birth rates get multipled.
Those who influenced what was happening in our country, didn'd do it to safeguard their thousands of years old ancestors.
Some times we see people soaked in communalism and it is such people who see everything with one eye closed, are really holding discriminative views.Peoples colour creed,history and language have nothing to do with the thurst for freedom from oppresssion and suppression they are subjected to.It's only a matter of determination.One people's birth rate doesn't have to alarm the other in any case.The country has already seen couple of failed attempts and more can come only from the most suffering and the strongest.Nobody will want this to happen.