
By P. Soma Palan –
I refer to the news report in the Daily Mirror of 25th April under the above heading. In an Interview with the BBC Sinhala channel in London, President Sirisena has said that “one, who is to be appointed to a Ministerial Portfolio, should have local and International acceptance”.
Firstly, the above, is an unqualified statement of a general principle on appointment of Cabinet Ministers, although it was said in the context of the recent appointment of a new Minister for Law and Order. Appointment of Cabinet Ministers is entirely and purely an internal matter of the country. International acceptance has no relevance at all. The country, more specifically the Government, has the sovereign right to appoint anyone to any portfolio it thinks fit. If it really wanted to appoint Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka as Minister of Law and order, International acceptance is not a bar, nor a necessity. It could have done so, instead of the one appointed. In actual fact, he was the more favoured candidate for the Portfolio of Law and Order. No country will interfere with the internal governance of a country. One cannot understand why the Government should invite a fetter, when none exist, and self-inflict a limitation on its Sovereignty. In the case of appointment of Ambassadors to international countries, the acceptance or rejection of the host country is a required Protocol. But not for Ministers who function within the country.
On the contrary, the President and the Government have said that, it will not allow foreign Judges to a Court to hear charges of “War Crimes” brought against the Political leadership and the Defense forces. In this instance, the Government’s stand is that, it violates the Sovereignty of the country, while gleefully stating that” International acceptance is needed “for appointment of country’s Ministers”. Isn’t this an utter contradiction of principles?
As a member country of the UN, and by extension, the other institutional arms of the UN, notably the UNHRC, it is obligatory and binding on the Country to accept Resolutions adopted by the International body, relating to War Crimes charges. Our defense is that it violates the country’s Sovereignty. All countries of the world as Members of the UN have implicitly agreed to forego a little bit of their sovereignty in the interest of World Peace and Order.
The positions taken by the President (a) International acceptance needed for appointment ministerial portfolios, which is purely an internal governance matter, for which no binding mandate exists, the Government voluntarily imposes a limitation on its national Sovereignty and (b) where it is mandated and binding to accept International Resolutions pertaining to War Crime Charges, the Government invokes the defense of national Sovereignty. The two stances of the Government, patently and diametrically is contradictory? To my mind, it is a peculiar and weird kind of logic. That is, where it is unnecessary (a) we invite limitation of sovereignty and where it is required (b) we reject pleading sovereignty.
Steve / April 27, 2018
Since Sri Lanka is still a part of the Commonwealth , in future all cabinet ministers may have to take their oaths in the presence of the monarchy. Why did we ever get Independence in 1948?
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Mallaiyuran / April 27, 2018
” Why did we ever get Independence in 1948? ” That was a conspiracy by British Parliamentarians against Ceylon.
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Mallaiyuran / April 27, 2018
International “acceptance” and local “sovereignties” are two different aspects. It is obvious any resolution accepted in UN and anything practiced globally is in contradictory. Nothing is new in larger countries dictate smaller countries. West likes more countries to become open, but when USSR was present they preferred to secretly convert small countries to communism. Recently Russia and China in Lankawe matter prefer this path. Many Arab countries invest heavily to spread Wahhabism. So these countries prefer their acolytes come to power. It is not exclusive big to small; in the last Presidential election, Lankawe wanted Trump to win election and they hated Hillary. Lankawe invested in defeating Susan Rice too. So it could be prudence to appoint the ministers what is needed for locally while not get into trouble the IC too. But the game Lankawe plays is much different from what it preaches.
This government was brought in for a power change by West, but Ranil worked with China and kicked out India and the West. Now the West wants Old Brother Prince to come to power. This would be against Ranil and Ponny. So the New King is saying that he is trying to get along with West. But this is only saying, but not doing. When Mangala was fired from FAM we didn’t know if the IC wanted that way.
We know Ponny was the most favorite of West when he was standing for EP election in 2010. But now they want Old Brother Prince. Ranil waited for three years and have saved Old King and New King, but wants to prison only Old Brother Prince through Ponny so to him to become the EP, then that is going to face resistance.
The resolution 30/1 may be there only to deter Old King becoming EP again and not really to prosecute him, and then New King’s expiations of foreign judges are not needed but appointing foreign countries wanted Law and Order and Oder Minister important is probably will work.
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Raj / April 27, 2018
What a joker. The very man who objected to foreign intervention into human rights violations & war crimes now wants international approval for the appointment of Ministers. If that is the case, he won’t have any Ministers from his own party. Is the President so dumb that he doesn’t seem to know if he is coming or going?
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Pathma kollar / April 28, 2018
MS joker prez is due for the patholaya prize for idiocy, ignorance, slime, sevalaya, and stink.
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Jim softy / April 27, 2018
WE should have judges from overseas. WE should have international agreement to appoint ministers. How about the PResident and PM. Every thingis the begnnings of the work of Two Tamils from Malaysia. chelvanayagam and Ponnabalam. Anglican church, american Missionary church and now the Evangelists side support it.
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K.Pillai / April 27, 2018
If MS did say “International Acceptance Needed For Cabinet Posts:” then it is an ig-Chinthanaya and so must be ignored.
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P U K Jayantha / April 28, 2018
Don’t worry HE the President
If the international influence you are referring to could respect and accept Ranil Wickramasinghe as a cabinet minister with all the corruptions in his ministry done during his term of office
There is no one who will be unacceptable!
International will only need the best stooges and clowns no matter their background , involvements or performance standards!
After all this is a country where a 7 year old Don Juan was enthroned by the Portuguese!
Don’t worry go ahead until the day you realise the need to remove clowns like Dilan whom you appointed from no where and for no useful purpose
Mr President please try to select at least one fellow who can talk some sense in that rubbishy Diyawannawa!
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Ad / April 28, 2018
What a wise man. He practices buddhism not knowing that Wesak falls on 29th May 2018. So are the Prelates, whose advise he readily complies with. First of all what recognition does he have in his own country? He was selected to send out MR. Otherwise he has no status among educated public. He is no one abroad other than representing SL.
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Sarrij / April 30, 2018
Ad.
Patholaya is a moron, plain and simple; do not pay much attention to what he says; his shelf life is fast approaching the end.
Serendipity helped him to become President and get rid of a dictatorship at the “right time”. That’s all !
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Renu / April 28, 2018
You need a minister to be action orientated and accountable for his actions and Ministers should be principle centered., If they are there is no problem as Universal Principle will apply everywhere. I saw recently President was Presented with the translated version of Dr. Stephen Covey’s ” Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” He should read it , so should all Ministers if they are capable of reading. They have too be accountable for the People they serve not to the International community, as if they serve the people of the country they will be accepted anywhere in the World. Our Former Politicians of DS era , where accepted by the International Community for there Knowledge, and accountability and honesty and they were “Response Able” ( or Responsible for What they did)
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Naman / April 28, 2018
One does not need to be internationally accepted to become a Parliamentary MP but be of good character and NO CRIMINAL background. When the next election in SL comes around let the Election COMMISSIONER decide the candidates are unblemished and educated.
Then there will be a BRIGHT future for SRI LANKA.
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Real Revolutionist / April 28, 2018
The best thing is not to have ministers
See our high ways, when police are on duty traffic jams.
when they’re not, it flows smoothly.
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Jeyaluxmi Muthuthamby / April 29, 2018
Dear Somapala
That was in early 1980s (1981?)
We came in the same ‘demala’ boat
From Dhanushkody to Thalaimannar
Then from Mannar to Fort by train
We departed in Fort
And never to see or hear again
Until your beautiful photo and article in CT
Jeya
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Raja Senanayake / April 30, 2018
Any country gets the leaders it deserves. So blame the people who are well known for their stupidity and naivete believing in getting rice from the moon so that a political leader utters such crap.
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Jeyaluxmi Muthuthamby / May 3, 2018
It was either 1980 or 1981
You were a blue chequred shirt just like today
You were Somapalan then
Now Somapala
No n in end now
Why Soma why
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Jeyaluxmi Muthuthamby / May 3, 2018
When my hubby went to ship loo
Secretly you winked me from deck
When we disembarked
You threw a parcel at me
I opened it discreetly
There I found a nice blue saree
With a love note attached
Thank you Soma Thank you
I’m now free bird
Jeya
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