{"id":198325,"date":"2019-01-28T03:27:15","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T21:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=198325"},"modified":"2019-01-31T04:02:54","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T22:32:54","slug":"sri-lankan-democracy-undermined-by-eastern-governor-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sri-lankan-democracy-undermined-by-eastern-governor-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lankan Democracy Undermined By Eastern Governor Appointment"},"content":{"rendered":"

By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole<\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole<\/p><\/div>\n

Since we proudly celebrated the eighty-fifth anniversary of Sri Lankan democracy in 2016, there has been a coup, first to replace a Prime Minister commanding a working majority in Parliament with another who could not muster a majority, followed by a move to dissolve parliament unconstitutionally. Even though Parliament and the Judiciary stood firm, these moves damaged Srilanka badly. The Economist\u2019s Intelligence Unit downgraded Sri Lanka into the category of \u201cfailing democracies\u201d in the sordid company of 55 states among the 165 countries it ranked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Democracy goes hand in hand with minority rights. The Sinhalese as a people must recognize that unless Tamils and Muslims are fully recognized as Srilankans, democracy will evade all of us. New moves to pardon Gnanasara Thero, that archvillain of Srilankan communalism, send shivers down the spines of minorities. As Colombo Telegraph reports<\/strong><\/a>, Buddha Sasana Minister\u00a0Gamini Jayawickrama Perera\u00a0while forecasting a presidential pardon for the villainous Thero come Independence Day, also forwarded supporting documents from\u00a0 <\/span>Ramanna Nikaya, Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagi Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, and the Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siam Nikaya.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All Sinhalese Buddhists should ask, \u201cAre these men fit to lead the Buddhist faithful?\u201d All minorities should ask, \u201cWhat kind of independence will we be celebrating on 4 February when a man who torments us is released because, as the BBS put it, he is a national treasure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Colombo Telegraph quotes International Crisis Group\u2019s Alan Keenan<\/strong><\/a>: \u201cIf even a self-proclaimed liberal and reformist government, with Mangala Samaraweera, Mano Ganesan and Harsha de Silva in Cabinet, allow Gnanasara to be pardoned without serious resistance, Sri Lanka seems fated to suffer more violence and tension and instability in the years ahead.\u201d This would be what the President wants if he pardons the man.<\/p>\n

Our Election Commission is meant to be a bulwark against moves to undermine democracy and let loose dangerous men who target minorities. Tamils and Muslims stood shoulder to shoulder in 2015 in resisting the dismantling of the rule of law. Thwarted badly in dismissing a legitimately elected parliament prematurely, the Executive seems ready to manipulate the elections by pandering to the communalist gallery. That requires breaking all commitments of protection to minorities, and engendering dark communalist forces among minorities.<\/p>\n

So? The President appoints M.L.A.M. Hizbullah<\/strong><\/a> as the Governor of the Eastern Province which urgently needs the Tamil and Muslims to come together after divisions were promoted during the war years.\u00a0 <\/span>Hizbullah failed to win a seat under Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s patronage in 2015, switched sides to Sirisena and was made an MP on the nominated list. His followers somehow have to win next time.<\/p>\n

As reported by Colombo Tiday\u00a0Hizbullah has boasted of his taking over Hindu Kali temple lands for a Muslim fish market. That recording being in Tamil, a translation:<\/p>\n