By Chandra Jayaratne –
Chandra Jayaratne
The Secretary to the Select Committee of Parliament to Recommend and
Report on Political and Constitutional Measures to Empower the People of
Sri Lanka to Live as One Nation,
Parliament of Sri Lank,
Parliamentary Complex,
Sri Jayawardhanapura,
Kotte.
Dear Sir,
Representations to the Select Committee of Parliament to Recommend and Report on Political and Constitutional Measures to Empower the People of Sri Lanka to Live as One Nation, Promoting Social , Economic, Political and Cultural Development and Ensuring that All People will Preserve and Promote Their Respective Identities and Live With Dignity and Security as One Nation and Enhance the Unity of People of Sri Lanka
I refer you to the public notice dated 10th July 2013 in the above connection issued under your hand and have pleasure in making my submissions for due consideration by the Parliamentary Select Committee.
I submit that the objectives as set out in the terms of reference of the Parliamentary Select Committee referred to above cannot be achieved on a sustainable long term basis within the present political structure/culture and in terms of the present Constitution.
I therefore submit that it is essential for the Parliamentary Select Committee to present in its recommendation sand report that the under noted fundamental political and constitutional measures be introduced to give effect to the;
- Abolition of the Executive Presidency and the reverting to the framework of governance with a Prime Minister and Cabinet as contained in the 1972 Constitution
- Parliamentary elections being a mix of first past the post and proportional representation with an agreed quota of women and youth representation in the elected bodies being satisfied by the nominations made from the proportional list
- Effective devolution of power to the provincial councils and also to the pradeshiya sabahs
I however believe that unless in the interim and as an immediate priority measure, political and constitutional action steps are taken to ensure effective, efficient and economic good governance, democratic freedom, rule of law, justice, equity, social justice and environmental sustainability the objectives set in the terms of reference of “Empowering the People of Sri Lanka to Live as One Nation, Promoting Social , Economic, Political and Cultural Development and Ensuring that All People will Preserve and Promote Their Respective Identities and Live With Dignity and Security as One Nation and Enhance the Unity of People of Sri Lanka” will not be realized.
Therefore this submission is restricted to Political and Constitutional changes aimed at good economic and social governance, democratic freedom, rule of law, development of ethno religious harmony only. The relevant submissions are detailed in annexure.
Kindly acknowledge receipt.
Yours Faithfully,
Chandra Jayaratne
8th August 2013
Read the submission here
crazyoldmansl / August 9, 2013
Lots of gaps, but at least you are genuinely trying to bring change for the better. We could work out a plan if you like to drop by and have a taste of asylum or we could take a walk in the reservation if you prefer fresh air.
Maybe we could work out a strategy to mobilize the citizenry to actually work these machines like the parliament, provincial councils and pradeshiya sabhas.
My own opinion is that we shall have to run these crooks out of town and clean the place up. How can that be done?
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Senguttuvan / August 10, 2013
It takes two to clap hands. Mr Jayaratne has left little room to a possible complaint Civil society did nothing while the country was fastly slipping to economic and political anarchy. Bodies like the Friday Forum and CIMOG have raised their voices regularly in defence
of the Motherland. Their voices have met with total silence on the side of the tottering State. OPA, arguably, is now infiltrated and subverted into meek submission. Some might even say collusion.
In any civilised society the government in power usually responds in
detail, swiftly and transparently to the voice of people such as the one Mr Jayaratne has painstakingly assembled and presents here.
Senguttuvan
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Jim softy: / August 10, 2013
Ha…ha..ha..
Jayarathne wants a few thousand politicians to rule the country so that the anarchy will prevail always and special interest groups govern the country. It will be the country of NGOs, the church or the mosque who ever more powerful than the other.
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shankar / August 11, 2013
The best way to do this thing is to start from ground up again and build up a new constitution step by step,little by little.So the following steps should be taken
1.scrap the present constitution entirely.
2.start a new constitution.
3.The first chapter of the new constitution should state that a prime minister shall be elected by the people for a period of three years.Everyone can put up their hands and the person who gets the highest number of votes becomes the primeminister.There will be no parliament,MP’s,different levels of governments etc etc,only a primeministers office and also a official residence for him/her.
4.Nobody else to be elected other than the prime minister.The primeminister should have the powers to appoint anybody and run the country as he sees fit.The catch is there should be a referendum at the mid term of his/her tenure as to whether the people are satisfied with his/her performance.If less than 50% is satisfied,then he should step down and fresh elections called and incumbent too can contest.
5.After ten years of this system of governance the constitution should state that according to the principle of continuous improvement process in governance a further modification should be made.Two deputy primeministers should be elected in the same process as the election of the primeminister,One for the northern half of srilanka and the other for the southern half of srilanka,which are geographically of equal size.The primeminister will collect the revenue for the whole country and allocate it to each half in equal proportions.The deputy prime ministers will have all necessary powers to run their sections autonomously,but with the concurrence of the prime minister on important decisions that may affect the country as a whole.
So lets start freshly all over again because things have got so messed up by adopting western systems without really understanding them properly.All hats cannot fit the same heads.Lets keep it simple this time and go at it step by step with the people also moving and endorsing the system of governance every step of the way with 3 year elections and one and half year referendums.
The present westminister system has only brought in a lot of baboons into the parliament and colossal wastage of resources.We can always have the parliament open for the public to wonder into for a nominal fee for its upkeep.
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crazyoldmansl / August 12, 2013
Make it three months!If you give her three years thats enough time to make a massive mess.
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shankar / August 12, 2013
yes,i missed that.For every problem there is a solution if we think long and hard.The constitution should state that whenever the people feel frustrated they will be permitted to throw stones at the prime ministers office.Like the recent mosque incident and police will look the other way just like when the muslim business was stoned.This will stop the prime minister from creating any more damage because of the loud and clear message sent by the people to him/her.
In the alternative we can appoint a very respectable person as the president,appointed by the organisation of professional association,who the people can take their grievances and complaints to and if the president feels that a fresh election will unseat the prime minister he should call for one to be held.If the prime minister is re elected the president should resign,due to wrong call and judgement.
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