28 March, 2024

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Prevent Vicious Cycle From Re-Emerging After Election 

By Jehan Perera

Jehan Perera

The recently formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa won most of the local government authorities in the South of the country in a landslide victory that caught the government and many others by surprise. The next few days will show if the SLPP, which is the breakaway faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will be able to woo the newly elected council members from the SLFP-led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) of President Maithripala Sirisena to enable the SLPP to form the administration of more local authorities. There is also the possibility that similar crossovers can be generated at the national level, leading to instability in the government itself.

Jubilant opposition leaders have claimed that the mandate given to the government at the previous national elections had expired with the results of the local government elections. Addressing a news briefing held at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) office in Colombo to declare the election victory, opposition members said the government had no option but to resign. However, the two main constituent parties of the government, the UNP and SLFP have dominated the main urban centres, and if their alliance continues, they will have the power of the central government to reduce the fall out of their poor showing at the local level.

In these fraught circumstances the performance of the government parties at the local government elections puts a question mark over the reconciliation process that the country had embarked upon after the 2015 presidential elections. Prior to the change of government relations with the ethnic minorities and the international community were in a state of acute deterioration. This situation was largely reversed by the present government. During the past three years the relationship between the government and ethnic communities improved in a significant manner. The ethnic minority parties became partners of the government either by joining it or by having understanding relationships.

Blighted Hope 

The main frame of the reconciliation process that the government has provided is a combination of constitutional reform and transitional justice. This is to enable a greater measure of power sharing on the one hand, and to deliver on the commitments made to the UN Human Rights Council on the other hand. The highlight of the constitutional reform process was the submission of a report on the options for constitutional reform which was presented in September last year. With regard to the commitments made to the UNHRC in October 2015, the government continued to return land taken over by the military and to amending laws relating to terrorism and to enforced disappearances. It also set in place the law for an Office of Missing Persons.

The government was proceeding along these two tracks prior to the announcement of local government elections, albeit slowly. Due to this the international pressure that had been building up against the government was relaxed and the confrontational relationship with the international community became transformed into a supportive one. However, the slow pace of reform resulted in disillusionment to the Tamil people who were the main victims of the war in its last phase. This disillusionment has found its political expression in the political rise at these elections of the Tamil Congress in the North which has been critical of the TNA for compromising too much with the government and getting too little in return.

There was hope that once the local government elections were concluded the government would restart the reconciliation process that had been put on hold during the campaign period.  However, the results of the election put this recommencement into jeopardy. The opposition SLPP led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa campaigned on the theme of the government’s betrayal of the national interest to LTTE proxies and to the international community. This evoked a responsive chord amongst the ethnic majority Sinhalese electorate which turned out in larger numbers to vote for the SLPP. The danger is that this could set off a vicious cycle in which Sinhalese nationalism in the South feeds and sustains the rise of Tamil nationalism in the North.

Engage SLPP

Irrespective of changes in the government and opposition it is in the national interest that the reconciliation process should continue. There is a danger that the government will backtrack on the commitments given to the Tamil people and international community with regard to both constitutional reform and transitional justice. This could lead to erosion in public support for the moderate leadership of the TNA in the North and to a strengthening of the nationalist Tamil forces who want the reconciliation process to fail so that they can get even stronger. If the government does not deliver on its commitments there could also be an increase in the level of international pressure which would, in turn, be opposed by Sinhalese nationalism.

During the past three years the government’s relationship with the ethnic minorities and with the international community has improved greatly. In the context of failed reconciliation processes elsewhere in the world, Sri Lanka became seen as a model of post-war reconciliation to be strengthened and emulated. The situation should not be permitted to regress into what it was during the period of the previous government when Sri Lanka was at the receiving end of international condemnation and economic sanctions. Internally, the ethnic minorities saw the government as an oppressor and not as a protector. Avoiding a slide towards a vicious cycle would require that the reconciliation process continues without reversal.

In the present post-election circumstances, in which the government’s very survival is at stake, it will be difficult for the government to try and continue with its present reconciliation process if there is opposition to it from the SLPP led by the former president. The landslide victories that the SLPP scored in areas in which the Sinhalese electorate predominated shows that it is too powerful a political force to be kept out of national decisionmaking on issues as sensitive and controversial as the ethnic conflict. This suggests that even as the government struggles for its political survival in the remaining two years of its term of office, it needs to constructively engage with the SLPP on the future of the reconciliation process. As a first step the government needs to identify and engage with the moderates in the SLPP.

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Latest comments

  • 9
    9

    This piece reinforce the notion that these buggers will only talk to representatives of majority Sinhalese only when they are united. If not they will disregard the will of the majority and implement whatever that appease West backed minorities….. in many cases detrimental to the country’s national interest. The majority community needs to be mindful of it and rally around their main political representative party at this juncture, i.e. SLPP.

  • 6
    2

    Quote; ” The two main constituent parties……have dominated the main urban centers” Unquote.

    Can Jehan please list them?

    • 2
      3

      Worse, he implies urban vote carries a greater weight than rural vote for the same number and therefore the Government is entitled to carry on regardless! Can you believe that?
      Soma

      • 1
        1

        Yes.. coming from jehan.. can believe it!

    • 1
      3

      He is talking crock. ONLY Colombo and Perhaps Kandy proper both huge numbers of minorities. Only the Muslim areas were won by UNP.

      Jehan thinks reconciliation is appeasement. When appeasement happened with zero reciprocity by Eelam Tamils and a CM who kept insulting people, it was bound to happen.

      Hela, Jehan has to bark the way his pay masters have told him to do so. So this is a typical Jehan piece of opinions with no real value. He cannot even appreciate the anger at corruption in the nation with Royalists stealing so much from the nation and people robbing because as Ranjan Ramanayake said they (UNP)were in the opposition for 20 years, so they were in a hurry to rob as much as they could in the 3 years. Jehan writes rubbish.

  • 10
    8

    Whether Jehan accepts it or not, the yahapalana junta has lost it’s legitimacy and mandate of 2015. If they have an iota of decency the govt needs to resign and seek a fresh mandate. If they try to drag till 2020, whatever they try to implement will meet resistance and they will face a much bigger defeat even if all the Rajapakses are put behind bars.

  • 7
    3

    “the performance of the government parties at the local government elections puts a question mark over the reconciliation process”.

    It doesn’t need to be……if it is a genuine, inclusive, reconciliation process among all direct stakeholders, and not a partisan appeasement exercise.

    Jehan and the fellow travellers’ problems lies there….i.e. that this is not a honest process or exercise and it is deceitful.

  • 7
    3

    There were many claims made prior to the elections:

    1) we will win more than 260 councils (UNP)
    2) I will ensure we will get more than 80% of votes in the Colombo MC ( Rosy S)
    3) we will win a majority of councils (SLFP)
    4) etc. etc.

    Most of these claims have been proved wrong. In the case of many utterances of the UNP Politicians, it is apparent they do not feel the pulse of the People.In the absence of credible polling agencies / mechanisms in S, it is not wise to make predictions of election results.

    In this unique situation in SL (mid term ‘punchi’ chande in all areas on one day), there can be many varying reasons for the result:
    1) Protest vote against the current Government (UNP Partner)
    2) Protest vote against the current Government (SLFP Partner)
    3) Anti Government vote
    4) Pro MR vote
    5) Vote against SLFP coalescing with UNP
    6) Anti RW vote
    7) Anti MS vote
    8) Pro SLFP anti MR vote etc.
    9) Some disgruntled voters would have stayed away / abstained

    It is not easy to dissect the vote to determine the real reason/s for this result. But I would venture to say, that most voters would have known that this is only local council elections and thus would not change the Government or the President (but could in some way impact them). Most appear to be dissatisfied with the performance of the incumbent Government i.e. unfulfilled promises. I believe, uppermost in their minds, in that order would be:

    1) We will catch the thieves, prosecute them and punish them
    2) We will catch the thieves, prosecute them and punish them
    3) We will catch the thieves, prosecute them and punish them
    4) We will catch the thieves, prosecute them and punish them (get the drift?)

    3 years have passed by and they believe this promise has not been fulfilled. Instead those who came to catch the thieves are also robbing / protecting them? So they are impatient and frustrated. Hence this vote? I do not believe, the voters in their wisdom, will ever wish to vote back the former regime to rule the land, ever.

    I hope the President and the UNP get the message loud and clear and act, and act fast with visible, tangible results.

    • 1
      2

      Gamini,
      You can pretend like sincerely trying to analyze the election result o come out with lame duck excuses to protect your UNP and racist Sinhala Buddhist. But what the election result showing is that from 1948, racist Sinhala Buddhist Gaminies’ eyes are remaining closed. This election is guaranteeing that Gaminies are going to walk, even in the next election, blindfolded like in the all past elections. There is no cure and they are not going to Change. But sadly, you have a hard time to accept that fact attempting everything to evade it. And sadly, Gamini, it is only your election result and you are fooling only yourself. (In the north TNA, lost some ground by putting up with Ranil, but still in in command)

      How UNP is losing for last 25 years is the way Tamils are losing from the time Don Stephen took power. If that wakes up your eyes, you will translate your feeling to Tamils feeling. If that is happening in you, read the rest of this comment or just ignore the remaining paras.
      Let’s come to election message, if there is really anything, from the Sinhala Buddhists Gaminies. Nothing explicit as you struggle to show, but one indication is: “Master, we are dogs on your leash, you launch us anytime on Demelos; we will tear off them”. Isn’t it perfectly matching with JR’s Black July radio speech?

      Election result is confirming that in Lankawe only two parties exist; one is ruling party, dodgy to grant Tamils right; the other one is anti-Tamil opposition party. You know there is no party as Slap(SLPP) existing; you know there is no leader to that party; but still it can win capitalistic economy (which almost all world is now practicing) party UNP, not because it is falsely promising going moon and bring rice; because it remains dedicated to yours and Ranil’s War Crime Hero, Old king.

      • 1
        1

        It is reported that New King said “I made a mistake by attacking the UNP, but I will not do that. If any of you want to leave you can go. I will run the government even alone, I am not scared. I will work with anyone who is willing to work with me and ensure all the fraudsters are prosecuted “
        Can Ranil say he is ready to do that?
        Will he reverse the promise of “No leader, No Commander, No Soldier will be prosecuted?

      • 2
        0

        Mallaiyuran, Sinhalese normally keep their party allegiance above their racial identities unlike most Tamils and Muslims. But the Sinhalese galvanise together when they sense someone is ganging up to screw their rear side. The visible separatist agenda of TNA and the antics of their CM in the NPC and the visible appeasement of RW+MS tells Sinhalese to take preventive action to protect their backside. You know what happens when they galvanise together……..they would tear any separatist agenda or project no matter how powerful the separatist lobby would be. The moral is DO NOT antagonise the Sinhalese that would galvanise them together in a protective mood/stance. Instead work with them for an inclusive future……..NOT for creating separatist, mono ethnic, enclaves. You will find peace and happiness then.

    • 1
      1

      Don’t cheat yourself once more! Start to thinks from basic fundamental. Sit down and honestly think it for 5 minutes, if you can bring out some message from these voters, who voted only in a Local election, but unanimously elected a National Hero for the 420 councils, who is not even the leader of party they voted, who is neither going to be President, nor Prime minister for more than the half term life of current LCs. Now, can you tell me what could be that message is? Isn’t it “we the Gamini’s gang, who are voting here in this election, is just simply some Sinhala Buddhist Racists”?

      This blind, destructive racism didn’t started by SWRD (Who proposed Federal system, before Don Stephen played out SRWD with in UNP and pushed him to be desperate), but by your National Father Don Stephen. You lost this election only because your technique of “Punishing two Tamils from CB” certainly it did not add up to Old King’s Moto “You want unified Lankawe or have the country divided?” Remember how did you win last election (Sep, 2015)? Your moto was “No Leader, No Commander, No Soldier Will be prosecuted”. Poor Old King, who was being threatened at that time with UN Electric Chair, was scared to create anything harsher to beat that. So you won the election.

      Why could not Ranil full fill his word on cleaning corruption? His prime promise of “No leader… …” was not congruent with it.
      Why didn’t he put any solid developments? He has abandon the traditional UNP’s free market- Western friends and have to align with China to confirm Chinese veto in UN. He even has fought with American Ambassador pledging USA’s GSP+ as the challenge. Now you may remember the time the garments factories in the South were closing & UNP blamed Old King fighting with West and losing EU’s GSP+?

    • 1
      1

      Think before the next election of how Gaminies and Ranil are going cheat Modayas when another round of garment closing down starts soon. Tell us something how long did it take to sell Ranil Hangbangtota harbor to China. One Year? Then tell how long and how many governments and how many EPs are it taking to negotiate ETCA with India. ( I don’t remember, was the foundation put in Chandrika’s time? ) Why there is so much friction with a neighboring country, after all India, as friendly gesture, gave up Katchativu and taking the pounding of Indian Fishermen? Please sit down for only minutes and try to explain why you are a free market democratic country going all the way to make a Communist, Buddhist country China to offer land sales, but there is so much anti-India feeling in Gaminies and Ranil? You think you know why Sirimavo cheated Mrs. Gandhi?
      The truth is Gaminies and Ranil are deadly against prosecuting the most notorious leadership in the country because he is a hero for you all even after he stands accused by UNHRC for war crime. You guys are revisiting the history of Ehelepola by selling Kandy Kingdom to foreigners only because the very first Country’s leader Don Stephen is a Racist UNPyer. He did that to Muslims that days and was caught the Colonial rulers, but Tamils stepped in and brought him out. That poisonous snake immediately turned around and bit Tamils asking them why they saves him.
      I can write book, but only one message comes out of this election, you guys cannot fix yourself until Tamil are with you. Think of doing some with Tamils. Either you wipe them out cleanly or let them go free. Then Gaminies and Ranil will find hearts & guts to punish Old Royals, the notorious criminals and save the country’s soil and sovereignty from dragons.

  • 2
    2

    All crooks help one another and nothing else…
    Ranil crook emptied C.B and MR and co looted public money in many ways and yet people do not have any choice except changing cushions for headache…
    70 years now we have had different sets of governments but what they have done..
    Nothing but waste of public money and looting it …
    Only choice is JVP..

  • 3
    5

    SLPP led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured just over 44% of the total votes and this was below the number of votes Rajapaksa got at the last Presidential elections (47.58).

    LG election results showed that more people (55.35%) voted against the SLPP and not for the SLPP (44.65%).

    • 5
      2

      Chedy my mate, it is 44% of 65% of the registered voters which is larger than 47.5% of the 80% of the registered voters in 2015, get the math? I know I know, a tad bit complicated for you, and further what is the percentage of Anti Ranil and Anti MS vote,? Isn’t that lot larger than 55.35%, another tiny lapse in your Chedi logic mate.

      • 1
        3

        wannihami,
        Did you pass your grade 5?

      • 2
        0

        5,768,090 decided to vote for MR in 2015. 4,968,762 decided to vote for MR on 10 Feb 2018. That’s the math I am referring to my dear Wannihami. Nothing complicated.

    • 1
      1

      Chedi

      Also please give us the percentage TNA received out of total votes.
      Soma

      • 0
        0

        Soma,

        THA has 43 Councils. That just 3 short to Sumanthiran’s prediction. (Let me tell something of me here, when Sumanthiran predicted 46, I translated it as 30. Many are not believing TNA’s last minute recovery. Almost 1 1/2 years ago it was predicted that TNA to lose on the next election. When TNA Oked “Buddhism only Secret Solution, it hit the rock bottom. There is still a chance they can patch up with Gajen. that will add another two. Probalay EPDP may too negotiate with TNA. )

        So TNA is ready to receive its Tamil Eelam. Are you ready to give it?

        • 0
          0

          Malluriam
          Beg you read my question again. I am requesting the “percentage”. Typical evasion tactics of separatist Tamils. Don’t bother – I found it myself. It is 3% out the total. You still need Ealam?
          Soma

    • 2
      0

      You can look at the 2015 Parliamentary election results adn say the opposite. More people voted AGAINST SLFP and UNP. In fact in the First past the post system, MR won more seats than the UNP..

    • 1
      0

      I’m confused.. so this election was only to see the percentage of MR followers?? Lol!

  • 4
    1

    say goodbye to a new constitution as this was a victory of sinhala buddhist nationalism

    • 2
      0

      Regrettably true.
      Soma

  • 4
    1

    I wish there was any harmless civilized way of preventing so called peace brokers who secrectly worship prabakaran, re emerging after each and every election, in many different forms.

    • 0
      1

      Yes las, it is called China!

  • 0
    1

    Yes las, it is called China!

  • 4
    1

    The so called Yahalpana government is a joke. In the 3 plus years what did they do , sweet nothing; except the cronies pocketing and looting the government’s empty coffers. Shame on you , you had the mandate and the majority needed to implement changes.
    MS-RW partnership will go down in history as the worst performing government in history, given the opportunity. They will never learn
    Nothing can grow forever. Dissolution is needed for new growth to happen.; this is mother nature
    Its time they change the captain and change the tide and direction

    Our desires are never gratified by indulgence. On the other hand, with indulgence, they only flame
    up like wild fire with libations of sacrificial fire.
    “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence”-Leonardo da Vinci
    Its time the silent majority demand the change they need. I must hasten to say; not necessarily via the SLPP or the MR leadership which have been hitherto have been very divisive to the national unity. Unless otherwise they change their stance on the national and other questions
    Am I asking too much? No I don’t

    • 2
      1

      RN
      Yes you are. Majority of you already occupy areas outside NE.
      Soma

      • 0
        2

        soma

        Could you cite analysis with evidence of your above lie.

  • 4
    0

    Did majority ask for a constitution?

    • 0
      3

      srinathan.gunaratnam

      “Did majority ask for a constitution”

      Did majority ask for a constitution in 1972, 1978, ………………?
      Did majority ask for free rice from planet moon ……….?
      Did majority ask whoever was in power to kill innocent civilian in 1971, 1987-1990, …..over 30 years?
      Did majority ask for riots in 1915, 1958, 1961, 1977, 1983, …………. ?
      Did majority ask the ministers to burn down Jaffna Library and loot books from the building?
      Did majority ask for Hambantota Harbour?
      Did majority ask for Matale animal sanctuary?
      Did majority ask for Dayan to be appointed ambassador ……………… ………………………..
      Did majority ask MR to appoint the national hangman Dr Gota (DSc) as the defense secretary?
      ……..
      ……….
      Did majority ask for you to be born in this island?
      Did majority ask you to procreate?
      Did majority ask the super smart ass patriot to gesticulate to the protesters?
      Did majority ask the national hangman to incarcerate Fonseka?

  • 2
    0

    Maithre and Ranil were never sincere in their attempt for reconciliation. Sampanthan Sumanthiran were not unaware of it. All four jointly and severally Cheated the Sinhalese and the Tamils. They have paid for it and brought the Tamils to square No1.

  • 3
    1

    We are trying to interpret this election results as a landslide victory for Mahinda Rajapakse lead SLPP. It is completely wrong. In 2015, Presidential election Mahinda got 48% and Mithiripala got 52%. In 2015 parliamentary election, the contest was between SLFP and UNP and there was no SLPP or Mahinda group. Mahinda group formed only after Parliamentary elections. So, it was divided and out of 95 SLFP, 50 left as Joint Opposition and 45 remained with Maithiri for the sake of keeping the SLFP brand with them but most of them are morally with Mahinda. The reality is most of the Sinhalese are against to Tamils and they always vote for anyone who are anti Tamil. It is the same people who voted for Mahinda voted this time too but the rest were divided between other political parties. So, it is possible to win Mahinda if this government to remedy to the mistakes they made during this 3 years.
    They are:
    1. Failure to take actions against the corruption by previous regime and the present regime.
    2. One of the most important mistake was the appointment of Arjuna Mahendran.
    3. violation of promises made in 2015.
    4. Failure to agree on important decisions between the President and Prime Minister.

  • 6
    0

    At this point many Sri Lankans are disheartened, as they have realized that whether the previous lot, or the present leadership, the Sri Lankan people haven’t been their top priority, and all politicians from all parties are all out for themselves, their families, their political buddies, and most importantly they play their political games, which eventually is their down fall. This has been Ranil’s second chance to lead the country, and once again, he shows what a weak, ineffective, and disappointing man, he is. As for Sirisena, he seems to have more time to focus on ladies underwear, and trying to stop women from buying liquor. Is this leadership?

    Now Sri Lankans seem to long for the days of white vans, journalists harassed, attacked, even killed, and an entire family, taking advantage of their father’s powers, by fleecing the nation. Sri Lanka sadly has no credible, honest, and competent politicians, who will put country above everything else.

  • 4
    2

    All the NGO guys who depend on Green Backs from their masters in the West by using the catchwords ‘Reconciliation’ ‘New Constitution’ may be shitting bricks after seeing the election results. ‘Choura Regina’ should pack her bags and return to her ‘Mother Land’ because she has been rejected by her own lot. Ranil has no other choice other than to shelve the new constitution.

  • 3
    1

    Why did the slpp win the lg elections. Mainly because the yahalpanaya goverment reneged on its mandate to make the corrupt politicos of the previuos regime accountable. So what needs to be done now is to correct this mistake by ensuring that the rajsfuksha family, baluwansas, gonapillas, bandulahoras, keheliyapukes, aluthgamagehoras, johnstonepakayas and srilankanairlines ceod and robber baron of central bank cabraalarsehole are all locked up or executed and fed to the pigs.

  • 2
    2

    Jehan, Tamil nationalism was active, alive and growing. Stop your bullshit of always smearing the Sinhalese. What fucking Urban centers are you talking about other than Colombo? ALL The North went to Eelam parties DESPITE reconciliation and appeasement. Beruwela went to MR group because some of the Muslims came to realize the 2014 attacks were instigated by Rajitha Senaratne and Champika Heeralu Ranawaka.

    MR is forming a group with CWC and Senthil Thondaman and Arumugam Thondaman. So that is a vital minority.

    Stop coughing to earn the bucks(Kuliyata kahinna epa) .Royalists like Harsha and Eran, 2 decent people also LOST their suburban areas. Only Colombo proper with vast numbers of Muslims and Tamils went to the UNP along with their base. They have no base in the South. Fonny Fonseka was whupped. Semasinghe whupped. Ranjan Whupped. All talk no action Ranil ALWAYS COVERS UP FOR HIS CRONIES like Arjuna,K.O.L.U Malick, etc

  • 1
    0

    The chest thumping grunts “No political solution to the Ceylonese minority problem” worked in 1956.
    In 2018 the cry “Political solution to the Lankan minorities problem is a betrayal” was shown to work.
    We are eroding/trading our independence and sovereignty by not changing this mindset.

  • 0
    1

    Cover Up PhD Jehan is covering up already on why Yahapalanaya need not to have to honor the resolution 30/1 which was watered out version of UNHRC officials proposed original by Ex State Secretary John Kerry as per New King’s Ranil’s and World’s greatest liar Mangala’s wishes and now two years overdue. Jehan PhD’s Local Council election is not an excuse for the two years overdue of Resolution 30/1.

    Jehan PhD should stop showing the Rapist Army backing up of Old Royal and deterring of moving towards a solution. Further there is no central government MPs or ministers in Slap party. There is no Parliamentary voting pattern change in Parliament by this election. Government did not lose 2/3. Old Royals did not improve their vote base. UNP and & SLFP lost because the failure to prosecute Old Royals. The only fix for that is just prosecuting all the criminals before next election. Last (2015) election 52% voted to prosecute Old Royals and only 47 voted to save Old Royals. In this election only 42 voted to save Old Royals. An additional 5% wants the Old Royals be prosecuted.
    Further, just don’t blame Tamils problem for UNP’s loss. UNP did a massive damage to its supporter base by selling Hangbangtota instead of obtaining IMF loans. Ranil purposefully kicked on the butt of American Ambassador and lost their GSP+. It is going to take many garment factories out from Lankawe map. The UNP’s 2017 Exchange Control Act made EU to blacklist the country along with most notorious criminal countries. This record is worse than Old Royals record of 174 out of 179 countries on media protection. That is making remitting money to Lankawe is crime. Many Western businesses bought merchandise from Lankawe are going to have remittance problem to pay for LCs. Rupee is going to shoot up from its current might of above 150 (157) to 300 against US $.

  • 0
    0

    Jehan,
    Your analysis of the local govt election results is fair. This election is also of local issues and local candidates and what they can do to local government. National politics is in the mind of the voters to some extent. UNP forming a UNF will not prosecute the War Crimes nor can it offer federalism or veer away from Unitary state as the majority of Sinhala voters will not endorse it. Any actions to delve into the war crimes will have negative impact on the stability of the UNF. Tamil Congress’s resurgence with a policy of Federalism with the right to internal self-determination united North and East, and implementation of UNHRC resolutions, though similar to the ITAK, shows that TNA’s soft pedaling approach and compromising on related issues will not sit well with the Tamil voters. They will oppose the UNF’s ignoring the constitutional process and ignoring the war crimes prosecution. Can UNF proceed with the constitutional process and get a constitution that is acceptable to the Tamil Speaking people passed in Parliament with a 2/3 majority? And or proceed with implementing the UHRC resolution? Not likely with the new opposition. UNP and UNF policies and actions will be to stay in power till the next Parliament elections and to gain power again. The conflict will continue with more intensity and demonstrations. Sri Lanka is rapidly sliding back to the eighties.

  • 0
    0

    I am 54 years of age. Having lived through many critical facts that have divided our country/made our people savage each other in the name of defending religion/race/language/cast/class systems make the following observation- I am wondering if this is time we have a party system that does not carry language and religious names?? Even the ones that is independent of this criteria (UNP, SLFP) has in ideology Sinhala or Tamil nationalism at heart? I am looking at functional democracies who are reasonably successful in managing a secular societies do not have these tags? insted carry other economical ideology for making their case for being elected to run the country?? We the voters in our country too may have been brain washed into responding to such destuctive calls from parties/politicians since independence on all the bias basis subliminally as suppose to responding calls from non bias parties we have in our country?? As we are all learning to manage/administer a nation with “on the job learning” and we as people unable to show each other how this is done has resulted in the current scenario going through this repeated cycles? with no
    end in the horizon?? Critical analysys by the Jehan and thank you.

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