Plus - Letter to the editor

Continuity of nation’s leadership is the prime factor in the Presidential debate

This country’s first Parliament was opened on November 25, 1947, after four-and-a-half years of progressive legislation. Since then two major changes followed, with the Republican Constitution of 1972 and that of 1978, which introduced the present Presidential system. We have lived three decades under the Presidential system, and in that space of time we have seen four incumbents of the Presidential office.

Any move to abolish the Presidency at this point in history could have consequences as grave as those that came with its introduction. The creation of the institution of the Presidency was viewed by many as a move to protect the interests of the first incumbent of the Presidential office, and not, as the country was made to understand, to create a society in which people could live together and make decisions together about effectively tackling the challenges the country faced.

The creation of the Presidential office appeared to be an electoral gamble to some, but other serious-minded citizens had reservations about the system. Citizens born after 1978 have lived their entire lives under the Presidential system, and they have been able to exercise their right to vote at two presidential elections at least, including the election that brought the present incumbent to that office.

These citizens, along with the older generation of voters, have witnessed the historic crushing of a terrorist movement, and they have also seen for themselves that an especially strong political office is essential for the protection of a country’s sovereignty and unity.

Unfortunately, some politicians are making politics unwholesome for the people. Politicians are seen as overly ambitious, cunning, unprincipled, opportunistic, corrupt and completely lacking in any sense of ethical standards. The people have a fear that a corrupt politician could attain the top post of the Presidency and corrupt that as well.

People favour democracy, assuming it stands for liberty and equality, and also because they see it as the best way to participate in affairs of governance. For that, they want a system of genuinely free, fair, and open elections; a free competition of ideas and not a demonstration of the candidates’ wealth, personality or pedigree. Voters want the right of access to facts, criticisms, competing ideas and the views of all candidates. The voters are not interested in the competence of certain politicians at slinging mud at one another or their talent for adorning the electoral landscape with expensive posters and cardboard cutouts.

The party system has stood the test of time for more than half a century in this country, and we have come to accept it as lifeblood of our democratic society. But down which road is the party system moving these days? Is it moving towards disintegration and ultimate disappearance? These are the questions being asked by democratic-minded citizens. All our political parties are in disarray today.

In the “grand old days”, the party was a part of the life of our people, like the family or religion. Things are quite different today. One can get elected on the ticket of one’s party, and once in Parliament, one can sit with the opposite other party if it offers better opportunities to achieve one’s aspirations. This tendency has in great measure contributed to the fast decomposition of the party system and the lack of organisational strength.

Border-crossing in search of greener pastures has been made easy, and is legally protected, because the President can appoint any member from among the Members of Parliament to be a Minister of his Cabinet. This is one grey area that needs to be reviewed.

Further, Sri Lankans have mixed feelings about our political parties because they evade the issues. They often fail to deliver on their election promises. The party system was dealt a big blow by the advent of the preferential system, which involves competition among candidates in the same party. Further, it resulted in voters casting their votes for individuals of their preference, regardless of the party label. As a result, our parties are in deep trouble today.

Newspaper cartoonists and our television comedians mercilessly caricature politicians as nscrupulous and manipulative or as naïve and confused. They are very often rated as low in honesty and ethical standards. “Politician” has become a dirty word for many of us.

At the same time, we do have individuals and office holders who are intelligent, responsive, hard-working and approachable. Some observers of our political system contend that the problem is not that people fail to deliver the goods but that the good people are not given a chance, or they are reluctant to enter a fray that involves dirty competition of all sorts.

However, the election of the country’s President is quite different from the election of a local leader or a parliamentarian. He is Head of the State, Head of the Executive and the Government. It is an executive office charged with a variety of national responsibilities, such as the power to appoint the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, the Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court. He also appoints ambassadors, high commissioners and other diplomatic agents, and handles other matters consistent with the Constitution. Above all, he declares war and peace, which means the country’s security is in his hands.

His conduct has to be extremely clean-cut, because as long as one holds that office, no proceedings can be instituted against him in any court of law or tribunal in respect of anything done or not done by him, either in his official or private capacity.

However, any citizen of Sri Lanka who is qualified to be elected to the office of President can be nominated as a candidate for election by a recognised political party, or if he is an elected member of the legislature, by any other party or by an elector whose name has been entered in any register of electors. So what is needed is the candidate’s ability to muster a majority at an election.

One of the decisive forces shaping our democratic life is the capacity of the Presidency to provide strong, able, and popular leadership and to maintain peace and harmony in the country.

The people are yearning for such an individual, someone whose first concern is the nation’s security and survival. They also yearn for a country where weapons and military forces may no longer be necessary. For these reasons, it is not advisable to seek the abolition of this office at this juncture. What we should be doing is finding ways and means to enable the Presidency and Parliament to function for the greater good of the people.

Going back to the old system, abandoning 30 years of effective experimentation, will only create fresh problems.

It is not a question of who should hold the Presidential office, but of maintaining the continuity of the leadership of the country. The election of the holder of the office is a matter for the electorate.

A. R. M. T. B. Ratnayake, Kandy

 
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