By Dayan Jayatilleka –
John Kerry was right, but only half right, when he commended Samaraweera for noting that true sovereignty can only be protected by asserting our multiethnic, multi-religious, multi lingual character. Both Kerry and Samaraweera forgot the flip side, namely that the estimable values of multi-ethnicity, multilingualism, multi-religiosity and pluralist multiculturalism can be successfully defended by those who have the national legitimacy of successfully defending national sovereignty.
The problem isn’t John Kerry. The problem is the Ranil-Mangala-CBK troika: the Three Stooges of the West. Kerry made a substantive, subtly intelligent speech at the Kadirgamar Institute. His remarks at the Ministry of External Affairs were helpful in that he signaled that Sri Lanka would hold parliamentary elections “in the summer”. This confirms the mention in The Economist (London) that elections will be in August this year.
Matters are a little different when we come to Mangala Samaraweera and his ex-boss, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Welcoming Kerry, Mangala promised a domestic investigatory mechanism with international technical assistance including from the UN. What does this mean other than Western investigatory teams digging up bones all over our North and East, while operating under the cover of a domestic mechanism? The Opposition should move a no-confidence motion on the Government at the first sign of such dangerous subterfuge.
Mangala also revealed an explicit aim of a “fully-fledged parliamentary democracy”. He could have just said ‘democracy’, or ‘pluralist democracy’ or ‘liberal democracy’ but he didn’t. Instead he specified the parliamentary form. What this means is that as earlier indicated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Eran Wickremaratne and Jayampathy Wickramaratne, a UNP Government will be committed to the abolition of the executive presidency and the restoration of the Westminster model.
In turn this clearly means that despite all the time and effort spent on 19A, the UNP does not want to give the resultant reformed Presidency a try for ten or even five years, and intends to embark on a time consuming distraction of a new constitution, scrapping the balanced , classically Gaullist presidential parliamentary synthesis that has just emerged.
The question is “Why”? I believe there are three possible answers or a mix of any or all of them. At the most banal level, the abolition of the executive presidency instead of a long try-out for the newly reformed one, is because the UNP elite, of which CBK is now an honorary member, wishes to block a Sajith Premadasa presidency in 2020. I recall a DUNF top-ranker telling me during the impeachment campaign that “R. Premadasa was OK, but Ranasinghe Premadasa is not”. When I asked him what he meant, he said Prime Minister Premadasa was OK but President Premadasa was not.
President Premadasa’s view was just the opposite. He told me at the time of the impeachment motion: “Dayan, I am able to do all this rapid development work for the people, while uplifting the poorest of the poor, because of Mr. Jayewardene’s Executive Presidency. Do you think my Cabinet colleagues would have allowed me to do any of these programs if I were a PM? I remember how these jealous fellows cut my funds in 1980…”
The second generation UNP elite, firmly restored under Ranil Wickremesinghe, is not going to let Premadasa Jr. pick up in 2020 where Premadasa Sr. left off in 1993.
That however, is the least important of the three possible considerations. The second is that an entirely new Constitution is needed to accommodate the real change that the regime change of January 8th was about. The issue of the abolition of the executive presidency is either a fig leaf or of secondary importance to this real objective. That objective was spelled out as ‘the only durable solution to peace on the island’ by former president Kumaratunga in her SJV Chalvanayakam memorial Oration. She explicitly articulated the term “a federal constitution”. She went on to advocate the “dismantling’ of the Sinhala majoritarian governmental structures and laws which had given the majority a monopoly of political, social and economic resources and exclude the minorities. The veteran Indian journalist and Sri Lanka watcher PK Balachandran summed up her speech in the caption of his report in the New Indian Express: “End Sinhala Monopoly says Kumaratunga”.
Thus the UNP’s need for a “parliamentary democracy” rather than a rebalanced (post-19A) Executive Presidency is really the need for a new constitution, and that need in turn, is to fulfill the objective of a federal constitution, reducing the political power and control of the majority over the island state. Thus a return to a “fully-fledged parliamentary democracy” is a cover story for the introduction of federalism.
There is a third reason or explanation. Taken together, what would a Westminster model combined with a federal system amount to? The classic Westminster model is unitary, and has subsequently evolved to grant a great measure of devolved power—it is not federal. The US Presidential system is federal while the French is unitary. It is a few ex-British colonies that have systems which are both parliamentary and federal: Canada, India, Pakistan, and Malaysia.
In Ceylon/Sri Lanka the national political leadership rejected not only federalism but also devolution, while the system was parliamentary. It was only with a secure executive presidential system that the mature national leaders felt it was safe to devolve power to the provinces, though never to shift to federalism. A combination of a fully-fledged parliamentary system and federalism, as envisaged by the UNP-CBK combine would go way beyond the parameters that successive national leaders established since Independence. It would seriously weaken the Sri Lankan state.
A Government of a “fully-fledged parliamentary democracy” would be controllable by the TNA. Furthermore, a federal constitution would loosen the ties that the island’s North and East have with the rest of the island and its capital while permitting greater ties with its 70 million strong ethnic kin in Tamil Nadu, and through them with the large neighbor looming permanently on the horizon.
Perhaps that is the third objective: a Sri Lankan state that is sufficiently weakened– “dismantled”–so as to mollify Tamil opinion here, in Tamil Nadu, and in the million strong Diaspora? It would also be a state that is sufficiently non-resistant to the political, strategic and economic influence of the patrons of the UNP-CBK dispensation, the West and India. Such a weak state would be a citadel that has lowered its drawbridge, dismantled its battlements and ushered in the Trojan horse of external influence.
In the name of justice, equality and autonomy for the minorities, the majority on the island, the Sinhalese, who are the real minority when you consider the massive geopolitical realities just a few kilometers of ocean away, not to mention in the world as a whole, will find themselves politically displaced, distanced from their real friends in the world, and left naked to their existential enemies. Our last chance to prevent this peacefully will be the parliamentary election scheduled for later “this summer”. It will be a long, hot summer. If our electoral choice is wrong, if we don’t generate a tsunami of Sinhala votes which will sweep away the local puppets and defend our natural status on this our island home, it will be our last summer as an independent nation, followed by an endless winter as a dependency of the Empire and the regional superpower.
cyril N / May 3, 2015
The readers of this essay by DJ has adequately covered with their comments on the different aspects. However, I want to emphasise that he is trying his best to bring in racism with his imaginations and misrepresentation of various speeches or articles to mislead the Sinhala majority and disturb the peace and tranquillity which President MS is trying to build in keeping with MR’s strategy.
This guy [Edited out]
/
Samitha / May 3, 2015
This little girl is feeling jealous after seeing Mangala talking to John Kerry…Her heart is broken…Her mind is crying out loud saying “i’m the one who should have become foreign minister! I’m the one who should be escorting him! I’m the one who should have been on TV with John Kerry!!Ihi ihi ihi!!”
/
Acumen / May 4, 2015
DJ has lost his credibility from the time he climbed the dais at Nugegoda in support to bring MR back to power organised by three MR stooges Wimal, Vasu & Gammanbille.
Whatever he writes now is nothing but to show his grudge against the successful union of RW, MS & CBK.
It is sad that this renowned academic is now advocating racism against the minority.
/
MNZ / May 4, 2015
With the passing of 19A Dayan and his invidious Gang of Four (Wimal, Dinesh, Vasu and Gammanpila) has lost the bring-back MR project, and he is thus on a racist trajectory to create mayhem in our country.
Dayan’s slip is showing. Is he a closet BBS member too?
Dayan, despite his immature posturing, is not the last word on Constitutional matters, and should realise that though the dog barks the caravan will inexorably roll on.
My advice?
Dayan, please shut up and find a hole somewhere in a deep jungle to bury yourself with the Gang of Four. This country will be all the better for it.
/
gramberg / May 5, 2015
Renowned academic?
Acumen, you show no acumen whatsoever when you describe this Disc Jockey as a renowned academic!
This fellow wrote pure crap from day 1….he still does, and NO ONE respects him except those half mad.
/
observer / May 4, 2015
It seems that DJ’s analyses and arguments have had an effect. The fact that a national minded group put up a spirited opposition and succeeded in having at least the most dangerous provisions of the 19th amendment deleted is a good sign. It’s important that one is not misled by such terms as ‘racist’ being used against DJ. Looked at dispassionately and in the light of recent history what Dayan is arguing is very credible. The fact that there is very little by way of intelligent counter-arguments should be a warning those who are concerned about the fate of the country.
/
gigurawa / May 4, 2015
Dr Jayatilleka
The enormity of vitriolic ,vicious, obscene ly personal attacks every time your comments appear on Colombo telegraph by , not the avowed tamil LTTE sympathisers , but Sinhalese who are bold enough to identify themselves, to name a few, (Dr) Lksiri Fernando, Shyamon , depicts only the tip of the iceberg.
What has Ranil, CBK, Mangala, Champika Ranawaka, Rev Ratana, Rev Sobitha, Ravindran Karunanayakam, John Amnaratunga , the late Lasantha Wickramasinghe and his exiled, yet vociferous wife and to add to it all the decorated army soldier who betrayed the very security forces he came out of retirement to lead in common? To illustrate my point,it was Champika Ranawaka who defended the violence agaist mulim community in Beuwala; then he was the most outspoken critic of malfeasance of the former regime of MR, then he went to proclaim they there was a coup by MR , supporting the weird and yet to be proved allegation by his avowed enemy Mangala Samaraweera, and finally , it should go on record, that this man Champika wanted to abolish the civic rights of MR and Gotabhaya. Then comes to Ranil. He hijacked all the executive powers bestowed on the elected president and from day one he was only beting the drum of tamil separatists.
We all know what the Sudunelum movement and its publicly declared goals were. Chandrika, , Mngala and a chap called Jehan Prera are yet to declare to the people in this country whether they have or not abandoned their claims.
We all know that Ranils cousin, the Bishop of Kurunegala though carried the same name ar Ranil used his position as the bishop of a 100% Sinhala congregation to side with LTTE and demonise the Sinhalese.
The common thread and the force behind these puppets is obvious. But the the truth is truth isfurther subverted by the subternaean forces aligned to this extraneous, sinister force.
HAow otherwise can one explain the reasoning of one political editor of TAhe Island, who constaly sings the songs of praise of ( rev) Sobitha. This is a man who has millions of rupees in his neme in fixed deposits; and he lost 4 million , which must be small beer, in Lalith Kotelawaela’s bank. Sobhita has no following or congregation. , travels in a chauffeur driven car; yet to the Island editor he is a paragon of virtue.
This just to illustrate how far and how dep the tentacles of this destructive mafia have spread.
Who is or are the king pins of this mafia gang.
It is for all rational, unassuming ordinary citizens to see.
I rest my case
/
Kannan / May 4, 2015
DJ is now all in on playing the ethnic card of majority vs. minority. This is the tragedy of Sri Lanka where educated charlatans take the country down the wrong path due to personal ambition. I hope the people of Sri Lanka (Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burgers, Veddas, Malays extra) have learned lessons from the last 50 years and understand to keep up with the modern world and to build a prosperous nation we need to believe in a multi-ethnic state and not go back to chauvinistic politics.
/
george jilmart / May 4, 2015
This Rajapakse stooge is now talking about three stooges, what a joke. the imbecile needs to have his head examined. Still hoping that his sponsor will come back to power, keep dreaming you buruwa!!
/
Park / May 4, 2015
Why is it that every one else, other than Dayan is always half right and quarter right? What is Puss Pundit Dayan’s fascination about halves and quarters?
Is it because he is a quarter baked or half baked Pandithaya? All his predictions have always been wrong. He has never stuck to one line of thinking. He jumps from one branch to another like our long lost ancestors.
People like this Puss Pundit Dayan, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva, Gamanpilla are traitors. They think just because they are educated that the average person in Sri Lanka is foolish and they can hoodwink them.
Well Puss Pundits, the time is ripe for you all to be kicked out of politics and political commentary.
/
EW Golding / May 4, 2015
This Dayan Jayatilleke,[Edited out]
/
Lanka Watch / May 4, 2015
Dayan Jayatileke, Wimal weerawanse, Vasudeva, Dinesh Gunawardene – Why do they make racist remarks and spread communalism among the people and
what do they gain by it. They had been to prestigious universities and
is this what they leant. One may also ask whether Oxford university
taught communalism & Racism as a subject for SWRD to preach same on arrival in his mother land. The researchers had found out that It all boil down to easy access to the crown and dam what happens during the process.
/
Dr. Errol Wirasinghe / May 4, 2015
Dear Dr. Jayatilleke,
I respect you as an intellectual, with vast experience.
Very often, you present delightfully interesting analysis; that few are capable of.
However, as a write, you do not seem to care too much about the “majority” reader.
You seem to revel in using “big” words and phrases, to make your point.
You are no doubt well-read.
But you you should not expect all your readers to have had the same exposure.
Furthermore, in writing, you are becoming evermore partial; and that detracts from your message. There is good and bad on both sides…
But, what concerns me most is… you are not helping unite our Nation.
Someone of your caliber, can do much to persuade rival factions to understand what matters.
I plead with you, to take note; and you will have a larger following.
With my sincere wishes,
Dr. Errol
/
sach / May 4, 2015
He is not attempting to increase his following. To have a larger following one should write how MR is a war criminal and how SL is a tamil country.
DJ writes the reality. Being realistic and being biased are two different things. when being realistic one has to take the side which is correct and not diplomatic middle point.
Before uniting, Sinhala people should have a leader, not a western puppet
/
Native Vedda / May 4, 2015
sach
“MR is a war criminal”
If you are in doubt please contact Hindians and Yankees who authorized and gave MR a free hand to finish off the war at any cost to the innocent people.
“SL is a tamil country.”
Even if it is true people are not that stupid to believe what you type out of seer frustration due to lack of sexual gratification.
K A Sumanasekere and Jim Softy are in similar situation and available.
“DJ writes the reality. Being realistic and being biased are two different things.”
There is also another side, delusional.
/
jinkers / May 5, 2015
NV,
“There is also another side, delusional”. I agree anyone who would think “SL is a Tamil country.”
Even that can be excused as mental deficiency.
But I think it is deliberate to create paranoia among the Sinhalese to make them believe that somehow a plan is being hatched to bring the LTTE back or variations similar. What better way to bring out the cutouts of MR from the hideouts.
/
JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / May 6, 2015
You may find so many Disco Jockeyies like Dayan Jayathilake Silva under the bushes as they are hiding to save faces.
because no backing from present regime for them.
that is why late Hon Laksman Kadiragamar said “Flowers for Sisiys”.
these jockies are Sisiys
/
gigurawa / May 4, 2015
Dear Dr Errol Wirasinghe.
The torrent of abuse and personal vilification each and every column of Dr Jayatilleke attracts must surely mean that some sinister forces are arraigned against him , writers who share his views and any politician who subscribe to a similar opinion.
Dr Wirasinghe says Dayan is using big words and phrases, yet going by the vast number of responses, though all of them without exception are vitriolic and hateful, these readers seem to understand every word of it
Nevertheless, you could not have missed the core argument he was making; A former president of this country being audacious enough to say that the sinhalese are subjugating the minority tamils, and that Ranil and Chandrika two leaders from the two main, rival political parties speak as one on this matter.
May I ask Dr Wirasinghe how would one propose to unite the nation when the two leaders aided by Americans, west and india openly give succour to separatists who have not changed their stance.
/
Waltsing Matilda / May 4, 2015
You are getting paranoid. The abuse that Dr J attracts is a result of his views and failed attempts at getting back into the fold of the Rajapakses in the hope they make a comeback. The same is true of Mahindapala, Sumanasekera and you (same guy different names).
Too bad for you that CT readers are too smart and discerning to be influenced by your rants.
/
Native Vedda / May 4, 2015
gigurawa
“May I ask Dr Wirasinghe how would one propose to unite the nation when the two leaders aided by Americans, west and india openly give succour to separatists who have not changed their stance.”
The only way for anyone attempting to unite the nation is for people like you liberate Sinhalese from Sinhala/Buddhists and Buddhism from Sinhala/Buddhism.
/
adhil nizam / May 4, 2015
Anyone surprised by these comments? Dayan plight pretty much sums up the plight of the all the other Rajapaksha clowns/losers – Wimal, Vasudeva, Dinesh, Duminda, Mahindanada, Rohitha (aka ratharan) etc. All these clowns are NO BODIES with out the corrupt Rajapaksha regime. MR allowed all these clowns to loot, plunder, Murder, deal in Drugs, Pedophilia etc… As the noose around all these crooks and murders tighten, they have redoubled their efforts to somehow bring back the Maha Hora. So no one should be surprised by the desperate comments of this low life dayan.
/
Fair & Balanced / May 4, 2015
DJ has become such a devious racist intent on inciting the masses to destroy the tranquility and peace!
/
Desapriya / May 4, 2015
It’s pathetic to see where this person’s senses and intelligence gone. It’s pointless reading this fellow’s article completely as first para is total
rubbish. It seems not from a person with wisdom.
/
Jagath Fernando / May 4, 2015
DJ is a lost cause.
Please excuse him.
/
Bystander / May 4, 2015
Acumen, You have just taken the words right out of my mouth.
/
Rufus Perera / May 4, 2015
What a poor sissy!! Its sour
grapes for this frustrated
international mischief maker.
Only he knows foreign affairs,
only he knows to comment
and only he knows what is
going on.
All this can be erased if
Mangala makes him the Ambassador
to Maldives. The son of Andaya
(some call him kondaya)
will change like a chamaleon.
/
Mark / May 4, 2015
DJ is no longer a Dr. He is a politician. He lost is right to call himself a Dr. when he climbed a stage and read a speech on behalf of a disgraced former president at an event organized by rogue elements of this former president aimed at undermining a newly elected president and his government. Now lets take Premadasa, he was very similar to MR in his dictatorial style. Both Premadasa Sr. and Rajapakshe were foul mouthed uneducated thugs at heart to whom the practice of democratic tradition meant nothing more than passing a loud fart. To these two rogues parliament was a nuisance. This executive presidency needed to be tamed to prevent such rogues miss using it in the future. Young Premadasa is not the only suitable candidate to represent the UNP in any future poll. Furthermore he displays the same tendencies of his father and Rajapakshe. So in a nut shell DJ hates people with integrity, education and decency because to have these attributes means you are elite and west ward leaning stooges. Finally, when Indira Gandhi sent troops to storm the golden temple in Amritsar She did so in India under a Westminster style federal government after declaring emergency and sacking the state government in Punjab. Not bad for DJs dangerous Westminster-Federal setup he thinks is so dangerous to adopt in Sri Lanka lest it marginalizes us Sinhalese. What we need are strong leaders with education integrity and decency no system of government will work without this.
/
watcher / May 4, 2015
Well said DJ…. People should know that US is a dangerous country to trust since they do not practice what they preach.
3 stooges are nothing but failed leaders that will not win a ballot and all they know is subterfuge, lies and deceit and unfortunately so many morons here don’t realise this.
/
Waran / May 4, 2015
Hi watcher Try and watch your own back slandering USA, you asking the USA police to bump you off, are you?
However, reading this article one comes to the conclusion that; For a fearful person, He sees ghost everywhere in darkness. Hi DJ for you the ‘sun had set when MR lost the presidency’. Do you need to scare the Sinhala people with you misrepresented malicious stories on federalism, or about the revival of Tigers etc. etc. to keep the racist card alive to bring MR back? The whole lot of stooges of MR must be investigated for stirring up racism and on their past corrupt practices and sent them behind bars. DJ you have become a disc Jockey! Have you not?
/
Peace Lover / May 4, 2015
the 3 stooges are ‘Dayan,Tamara and Rajiva’ as mentioned by Rajiva N no of times hahaahahahaha
/
Sanchay / May 4, 2015
My dear DJ, have you thought for a single moment, why it could eventually come so far as you say “In the name of justice, equality and autonomy for the minorities, the majority on the island, the Sinhalese, …., will find themselves politically displaced, distanced from their real friends in the world, and left naked to their existential enemies..”? Because your beloved master Mahinda Rajapakse was not thinking of the poor poor “majority on the island, the Sinhalese” he was so drunk with power and greed that he trusted his astrologer more than anybody, more than you “DJ, the brain child, the prodigy and savior of the majority Sinhalese, the nation”. You and he had the chance to avert this “attempt of the three stooges, the long winter” to keep away the dangers at least for another two years but you didnt. WHY? Would you be gracious to spell out the reason for that? MR was not under pressure to call upon an early election but he did? and it was he who betrayed “the majority Sinhalese” and not the winners after that. DJ, I believe you are not only a racist but also a coward, pulling your tail between your hind legs and waiting for the pats and crumbles to fall for you and allways scared to be kicked out…
When you say “What does this mean other than Western investigatory teams digging up bones all over our North and East, while operating under the cover of a domestic mechanism?” I see a scared child shivering in the corner of the class room, in front of the principle, class teacher and his classmates, waiting to be charged and scolded for the lies he spread back in Geneve in 2009, and vigorously defending these lies thereafter under the might of his protetor, now left and let alone to pay for it. He is not scared because he might be debunked, this worries him the liest, he is worried much because his friends,the teacher, parents and MR are not going to dear him thereafter and not going to praise him for his virtue… the poor little dethroned Prince, DJ.
Dont you see all your attempts since 8th of January or weeks before to sabotage the victory of MS or the “troika or Stooges” were fruitless. The public demonstrations are not attracting the masses, THe 19A is through with the support of the MR bandwagon, MR cannot be the president for life time any more, GOTA cant contest any elections unless he gives up his most hated US citizenship and as you might have heard, if MR contest for PM and loose the ballot he would not get the ameneties what he gets now as the past president of the nation. He is thinking of not filing his candidacy. then you are going to be real alone, thrown to the hyades and wolfs? Dont be panicked, you place your bet on the Sajith pony? you clever bastard! you know how to earn your alms and survive; if everything goes wrong you still can runaway to australia to claim political asylum… or are you thinking of Cuba… with the new freindship of Havana to US the life cannot be misserable anymore, you will still have lots of real marxists and lenninists to fight the wesetrn imperialism, at least on paper!
I wonder, how can anybody so shameless to change his colors and sides so often and proud of his marginal spineless existance; but I proved to be wrong you are the living evidence.
/
M J M Fahim / May 4, 2015
It is sad that this renowned academic is now advocating racism against the minority.
/
kali / May 4, 2015
Dayan the Catholic Pensioner:
Ever the Loyal servant of the Buddhist Masters.
Shall we do a postmortem
1) John Kerry was right, but only half right, when he commended Samaraweera for noting that true sovereignty can only be protected by asserting our multiethnic, multi-religious, multi lingual character. Both Kerry and Samaraweera forgot the flip side, namely that the estimable values of multi-ethnicity, multilingualism, multi-religiosity and pluralist multiculturalism can be successfully defended by those who have the national legitimacy of successfully defending national sovereignty.
*** You should be grateful for John Kerry reasserting your right to exist in a Buddhist Country in the South. Multi Religious? If you ask BBS whose patron was Gotha until he fell from Grace they wouldnt tolerate your religion.
2) The problem isn’t John Kerry. The problem is the Ranil-Mangala-CBK troika: the Three Stooges of the West. Kerry made a substantive, subtly intelligent speech at the Kadirgamar Institute. His remarks at the Ministry of External Affairs were helpful in that he signaled that Sri Lanka would hold parliamentary elections “in the summer”. This confirms the mention in The Economist (London) that elections will be in August this year.
*** What difference would a few months make for the fortunes of your Master MR. Frankly nothing he is gone for ever.
3)Matters are a little different when we come to Mangala Samaraweera and his ex-boss, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
*** You are begining to confirm that even pickles can bite back.
4) Welcoming Kerry, Mangala promised a domestic investigatory mechanism with international technical assistance including from the UN. What does this mean other than Western investigatory teams digging up bones all over our North and East, while operating under the cover of a domestic mechanism? The Opposition should move a no-confidence motion on the Government at the first sign of such dangerous subterfuge.
*** The CT moderator is quick to sheild you from being ridiclued but he is more than will willing to allow you to write the above about digging for bodies of missing sons and daughters at the hands of Gotha and his barbaric soldiers. It shows the level to which decency in Sinhlala Lanka has fallen. That is why we dont have any confidence in an internal mechanism to get to the bottom of the terrible crime committed by the Soldiers under orders from Gotha the Criminal
5)Mangala also revealed an explicit aim of a “fully-fledged parliamentary democracy”. He could have just said ‘democracy’, or ‘pluralist democracy’ or ‘liberal democracy’ but he didn’t. Instead he specified the parliamentary form. What this means is that as earlier indicated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
*** That democracy means nothing in an Animal Kigdom. The fittest survives.
6) Thus the UNP’s need for a “parliamentary democracy” rather than a rebalanced (post-19A) Executive Presidency is really the need for a new constitution, and that need in turn, is to fulfill the objective of a federal constitution, reducing the political power and control of the majority over the island state. Thus a return to a “fully-fledged parliamentary democracy” is a cover story for the introduction of federalism.
*** Without Federal structure India would have fragmented and it was Federalism which has kept the Union together.
7) What would a Westminster model combined with a federal system amount to? The classic Westminster model is unitary, and has subsequently evolved to grant a great measure of devolved power—it is not federal. The US Presidential system is federal while the French is unitary. It is a few ex-British colonies that have systems which are both parliamentary and federal: Canada, India, Pakistan, and Malaysia.
*** You really are an illiterate. IN the UK there is only one language at the momement ( Galic not spoken), no Ethnic Divide but still Scots want to break free.
But in Sinhala Lanka we have different Language different Religion and above all a Racist Sinhala Majority ruling over a Tamil Minoroity. Without a meanigful Federalism with which we are responsible for our Language, Religion and above all Security Sri Lanka will have years of Conflict. But post Perabakaran the World has realized what brutal Race the Sinhlala Race and are beging to take action.
Every foreign dignatory who comes to Sri Lanka pays a visit to the North which never happend in the past.
North has been recognised by the World as a Seperate Country.
8)In Ceylon/Sri Lanka the national political leadership rejected not only federalism but also devolution, while the system was parliamentary.
*** Sinhalese are no longer in Control of Sri lankas destiny. It is driven by an International Machine. Just think of Colombo Port City which was cancelled by India. Repalcing the Chines with an investment of 2 Billion to sell Locomotives. Dodgy Stuff ah.
9) Furthermore, a federal constitution would loosen the ties that the island’s North and East have with the rest of the island and its capital while permitting greater ties with its 70 million strong ethnic kin in Tamil Nadu, and through them with the large neighbor looming permanently on the horizon.
*** It is like cutting the Umbelical chord. The baby grows to be an adult and the relationship depends on how the mother treats the son/daughter. If you dont look after the baby well you will end up in an Old Peoples Home which is where you are heading.
10) In the name of justice, equality and autonomy for the minorities, the majority on the island, the Sinhalese, who are the real minority when you consider the massive geopolitical realities just a few kilometers of ocean away, not to mention in the world as a whole, will find themselves politically displaced, distanced from their real friends in the world, and left naked to their existential enemies. Our last chance to prevent this peacefully will be the parliamentary election scheduled for later “this summer”.
*** Catholics are a Minority and at least you can go to the Vatican set up Home and meet the Italian Witch.
11) It will be a long, hot summer. If our electoral choice is wrong, if we don’t generate a tsunami of Sinhala votes which will sweep away the local puppets and defend our natural status on this our island home, it will be our last summer as an independent nation, followed by an endless winter as a dependency of the Empire and the regional superpower.
*** You have missed one important thing.
It will be your last SUPPER when sanctions beging to bite. There are no more nuts left as all the Nuts have been swept away to Hambanthotta by the Tamil Tsunami.
/
Nadi Karunaratne / May 4, 2015
Poor old Dayan, he is soaring to new heights of incoherence.
/
srinath gunaratne / May 5, 2015
Dayan
This is not the place where we should take this message though I enjoy how you piss off this West worshiping Dollar mafia! Sinhalese will have already realized that Mahinda was the right leader for the country, Soon Tamils will also learn it was Mahinda who developed the north not the LTTE coolies, TNA!
Mahinda is no racist and he never condone racism, He will be written as the savior of the Nation and the Maithree will be written as the back stabber of the savior!
We already see how west dictate terms on us!
/
Ebola da Silva / May 5, 2015
Mr. Gigurawa,There was a bitch in my neighbourhood.Every body used to feed the fellow and pet her until it was found that the bitch and her owner another female were being screwed by all the dogs in the neighbourhood.I am sure that the owner was not you in female garb
/
Vanguard / May 5, 2015
I ask readers to really examine DJ’s article and see for themselves if there is anything ‘racist’ in here. He is somewhat anti-West, anti -Ranil thinks that there are moves afoot to stave of a Premadasa presidency, like the one he knew.
He is afraid of the ‘dismantling’ of Sri Lanka; but come to think of it any Sri Lankan would not be, and devoution is only the journey of a thousand miles that begins with one step (DJ thinks).
We had in these pages one writer (not Dayan) taking a few moments to ‘boast about my race’. If you can call this racist, but I do not, then Dayan can be called racist. No doubt each person is proud of their race, and thinks his or her race is really smashing. (no pun intended)
The question is, how does he presume to make our fellow Tamil citizens happy? I would be very interested if he turns his vast diplomatic experience to draft an arrangement that will satisfy Mr. Sambanthan, Mr. Sumanthiran and the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). But wait – don’t tell us, tell MR to put it in his PM Manifesto for the upcoming elections! At least MR is politically honest.
Here let me suggest a title for your article , Dr, DJ: “Playing Happy Families – how to make Sri Lanka the Land of the Happy Majority and the even Happier Minorities”
Don’t forget to tell the Racists.
/
Alvar / May 5, 2015
DJ is a half baked Dr and a so called intellectual who plays the racist card for a easy ride to power and position. It is not surprising that this convert to Buddhism displays more patriotic attributes in his writings. Sri Lankans are no more ‘modayas’ to buy his half truths.
/
renu / May 5, 2015
Best place for DJ’s comments on any issue is the Dust Bin. He is Half Sinhalese and Half tamil. He was Varathraja Perumal’s buddy& Minister when he posted the Elam Flag
/