{"id":135444,"date":"2014-12-23T13:56:02","date_gmt":"2014-12-23T08:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=135444"},"modified":"2015-01-12T17:03:54","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T11:33:54","slug":"what-is-this-change-we-say-we-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/what-is-this-change-we-say-we-want\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is This \u201cChange\u201d We Say We Want?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Kusal+Perera&amp;x=8&amp;y=3\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Kusal Perera<\/span><\/a> &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_63989\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Kusal-Perara-Colombo-Telegraph.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63989\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-63989\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Kusal-Perara-Colombo-Telegraph-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Kusal Perara\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Kusal-Perara-Colombo-Telegraph-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Kusal-Perara-Colombo-Telegraph-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Kusal-Perara-Colombo-Telegraph.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-63989\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kusal Perara<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The talk of \u201cChange\u201d at the coming January 08 presidential polls is more a Colombo Sinhala middle class discourse. In a very general manner, other Sinhalese join in to say \u201cyes\u201d. The common feeling around Sinhala urban centres with no particular interest on any serious issue tends to agree for a \u201cChange\u201d. This has now been translated to mean, \u201cRajapaksa should go\u201d. Pushed for explanations as to why he should go, one would come against answers like, \u201cmega corruption, dictatorial family rule, breakdown of law and order, drugs and ethanol\u201d and more of such allegations. This list that justifies ousting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Mahinda+Rajapaksa&amp;x=10&amp;y=5\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> unfortunately does not include, \u201cmilitarisation of society, State sponsored violent Sinhala Buddhist extremism against Muslims, refusal to seriously and honestly negotiate a political solution to the Tamil question, or even the issue of establishing civil administrations in North and East.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet, those rallying round Common Candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Maithripala+Sirisena&amp;x=10&amp;y=3\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Maithripala Sirisena<\/span><\/a> keep saying, this presidential election is crucial and the opportunity to oust Rajapaksa should not be missed for whatever reason. Ousting Rajapaksa they say, would create new \u201cspace\u201d. Thereafter the \u201crest would follow\u201d is the loud call. In plain language what we are told is, \u201cRajapaksa should be defeated at any cost\u201d. There are those who add, \u201cnever mind who or what comes thereafter\u201d. While there is consensus this Rajapaksa regime has to be completely uprooted, these simplifications raise many issues for those who wish to have a clear political definition of the term \u201cChange\u201d. This \u201cChange\u201d for which the Rajapaksa regime has to be ousted, cannot be a vaguely interpreted, populist term.<\/p>\n<p>It is very superficially touched upon in \u201cA Compassionate <em>Maithri<\/em> Governance : A Stable Country\u201d as liberating the \u201cnoble motherland and all its people from the tragic fate that has befallen them\u201d (p\/05 \u2013 first para). This \u201cChange\u201d could also be understood to mean, that in the future there would be very much less corruption, much like in the pre Rajapaksa era and all political parties would unite to build a less corrupt country.(My Vision \u2013 p\/06).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Maithripala-Temple-.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-133979\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Maithripala-Temple-.jpg\" alt=\"Maithripala Temple\" width=\"636\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Maithripala-Temple-.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Maithripala-Temple--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Maithripala-Temple--800x533.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/a>While such \u201cchange\u201d to a country with tolerable levels of corruption is also welcome, this country now needs to \u201cchange\u201d in to a country that will stop marauding State sponsored Sinhala Buddhist goons resorting to violence against Muslims and different Evangelical Christian faiths, will de militarise society at every level from North to South, will move towards a secular State that will not burden other ethno religious communities of living in a further regimented State under Sinhala Buddhist dominance. Socio economic development needs to be talked of in such a free and democratic country. <strong>Is this the \u201cChange\u201d that we are asking for and is this the \u201cChange\u201d that we are being promised after Rajapaksa is defeated ?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When elected President, democracy is promised by Maithripala Sirisena through Constitutional Reforms. The fundamental reform that was aspired for is the abolition of the Executive Presidency and shifting back to a parliamentary system of governance. That now will not be the case. Need to abolish the Executive Presidency that forged a consensus in the Opposition for a reliable common candidate, is now a deformed solution for democracy (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sobitha-movement-in-retreat\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sobitha Movement in Retreat<\/span><\/a> &#8211; Sumanasiri Liyanage : Not quite sure though, what Purawesi Balaya Sumanasiri is referring to, pre Maithripala<\/em>). In Maithripala Sirisena\u2019s manifesto, the \u201cchange\u201d in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Executive+Presidency&amp;x=10&amp;y=4\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Executive Presidency<\/span><\/a> instead of \u201cabolition\u201d is based on the JHU concept of a President with selective Executive powers. The 19 Amendment to the Constitution publicly proposed by JHU MP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Athuraliye+Rathana&amp;x=8&amp;y=3\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Rathana<\/span><\/a> thera on 14 October under his label \u201cPivithuru Hetak\u201d, includes provisions for such a Presidency that retains overall authority over the Cabinet of Ministers as well. Rathana thera\u2019s 19 Amendment clearly includes Defence and Provincial Councils with executive powers to the President and that was Maithripala Sirisena\u2019s position when he spoke to BBC Sandesaya. These executive powers are stressed by Champika Ranawaka as untrammelled power in promising a \u201cUnitary State\u201d under new reforms written into Maithripala Sirisena\u2019s manifesto.<\/p>\n<p>It is with such convoluted politics the promised \u201cchange\u201d is offered. Reading Maithripala\u2019s manifesto from cover to cover to see how much \u201cchange\u201d there is, one would not know or realise that this manifesto is for a country which bled for over 30 years with a brutal war. That this manifesto is for a country that had over 240,000 Tamil citizens barbed wired as refugees in Menik farm. That it is for a country that still has refugees evicted from their ancestral land occupied by the military. That this is for a country with 88,000 young war widows in the North-East alone. That it is for a country that still has the military controlling the lives of Tamil people in North-East. Yet it is incredibly true that none of those atrocities and militarisation has any mention in any of the 62 pages. Therefore this \u201cChange\u201d is defined only in terms of Sinhala Buddhist dominance.<\/p>\n<p>The whole manifesto seeps with extreme Sinhala Buddhist ideology of Champika\u2019s JHU that kept saying even after the Aluthgama-Beruwala Muslim massacre the Muslims are fostering Jihadi groups and they have a sinister plan to dominate the Sinhala race. On 20 June, just 06 months ago, going on even keel with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Bodu+Bala+Sena&amp;x=10&amp;y=5\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">BBS<\/span><\/a>, Champika Ranawaka <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news\/video-tell-hakeem-to-leave-govt-if-ashamed-jhu\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">told media<\/span><\/a> Hakeem should leave the Government (Rajapaksa\u2019s) if he is ashamed of the inhuman and brutal assault on Muslim people in Aluthgama\u00a0none of which he is prepared to retract even today.<\/p>\n<p>It is such extreme Sinhala Buddhist ideology in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/manifesto-launched-rajapaksas-attempting-to-spread-terrorism-paranoia-maithri\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Maithripala\u2019s manifesto<\/span><\/a> that promises, \u201cAs a real reply to allegations of human rights violations directed against Sri Lanka I will take action to promote humanitarian and environment-friendly attitudes both locally and internationally. <strong>On the advice of the Maha Sangha<\/strong> (emphasis added) I will make Sri Lanka again the centre of distribution of the knowledge and discipline of Indian as well as Asian Buddhists. I will prepare the ground for disseminating among the learned Western society Buddhism and its vision of impermanence and denial of soul that expressed non-violence, equality and great compassion for all. Thereby it will be possible to build a new image for Sri Lanka in the world\u201d. (page 44 \u2013 Sinhala copy has more Sinhala Buddhist punch) The new image promised will thus be nothing but that of a Sinhala Buddhistva State. A saffron State the BBS can also be proud of. This \u201cChange\u201d certainly is not for Tamils and Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>There is also a serious reason why the process for this mono ethnic \u201cchange\u201d is problematic and not democratic. Assuring to conclude reforms within 100 days, it is this present parliament Maithripala Sirisena says he would be presenting the reforms for \u201cchange\u201d. In other words, required two-thirds for constitutional reforms have been assured from the present 225 MPs in this parliament. That is not only hilarious, but an insult to people\u2019s aspirations on democracy and good governance. With MPs crossing, who knows when from one side to the other, this parliament no more reflects the sovereignty of the people. They have proved over and over again, they are not bothered about citizens who elected them to parliament. A good majority of MPs have no social trust they would stay with the voters who elected them. Majority is such, the whole parliament lacks any credibility now. They thus have no moral and political right to represent the people any more. <strong>Should these wholly corrupt MPs who decide where they sit in parliament on very private and personal reasons, benefits, privileges and sponsorships be given the right to decide Constitutional Reforms on behalf of the people?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This in turn raises the issue, whether reforms spelt out in Maithripala\u2019s manifesto could answer this question of people\u2019s functional sovereignty in parliament (what is talked of is mere procedural and abstract), as the promise is to allow more power to the Legislature. Constitutional reforms as given in the manifesto and spelt out on platforms do not explain how the present hybrid of executive and legislative powers exercised by elected representatives right down to Local Government bodies will hereafter be dismembered for democratic reforms. Politics become corrupt and the parliament as a system of governance, when elected Legislators (MPs) are given the executive power with the right to decide appointment lists, financial beneficiaries and handle district allocations for development activities. Such executive powers going down to districts have turned parliament into a \u201csupermarket\u201d with every elected \u201cproduct\u201d having a price tag on it. More powerful the product becomes, bigger the price become. This hybrid of executive and legislative powers enjoyed by elected MPs have to be dismembered, leaving them with the responsibility they are elected for to the parliament as legislators only. A ruthlessly corrupt majority who decide where they sit in parliament for very private and personal reasons, will not want to lose such power in establishing democracy for good governance and accountability. These terms they don\u2019t understand and would not want to understand.<\/p>\n<p>Adoption of constitutional reforms thus needs to be channelled through an alternate process where serious public dialogue can see through the proposed reforms. People\u2019s organizations and the mainstream media need to open up for debates on proposed constitutional reforms. People\u2019s organisations and forums have to be allowed the opportunity to propose amendments and changes, before the final Amendment is presented in parliament. Unless such democratic, citizen participation is guaranteed, this rogue parliament that had never seen any serious intellectual debate cannot be entrusted with the responsibility of adopting promised reforms for \u201cchange\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>There is still time for such serious dialogue necessary that could sustain a strong people\u2019s lobby for saner \u201cchange\u201d, post elections. A lobby that could push the victorious \u201cMaithri frenzy\u201d beyond Sinhala Buddhist rhetoric and cosmetic \u201cchange\u201d. But that would have to be independent and outside Maithripala\u2019s election campaign from the start. Unfortunately that is not how the self appointed citizen\u2019s representatives have defined their role, in ousting Rajapaksa. They thus would end up like the FMM and the Independent Artistes in 1994. Forfeiting such independent presence does not allow for independent lobbying post elections for \u201cChange\u201d this country needs. Or, is it mere ousting of Rajapaksa that we want for a change? A change of Sinhala names and faces? Tragedy it would be, if that is the \u201cChange\u201d we would stop with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":63989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8,6968],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial","category-popular-columns"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Is This \u201cChange\u201d We Say We Want? - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/what-is-this-change-we-say-we-want\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is This \u201cChange\u201d We Say We Want? 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