{"id":228275,"date":"2022-07-17T23:04:16","date_gmt":"2022-07-17T17:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=228275"},"modified":"2022-07-18T03:08:17","modified_gmt":"2022-07-17T21:38:17","slug":"obligations-of-225-mps-the-party-leaders-to-the-people-of-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/obligations-of-225-mps-the-party-leaders-to-the-people-of-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Obligations Of 225 MPs & The Party Leaders To The People Of Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parliament will meet next week to elect a new President\u00a0to fill the vacancy created by the resignation\u00a0of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (GR). He went missing after the events of 9th<\/sup> July, and surfaced again with a written message to the People of Sri Lanka, and a letter of resignation of office, on the 14th<\/sup> July.<\/p>\n

While still in office GR tried to use the Constitution to create what he called “new governments,” the last with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and different partners of his Pohottuwa government. The failure of these efforts was manifested in the events of 9th<\/sup> July which resulted in him being\u00a0forced to flee the country.<\/p>\n

A powerful People\u2019s movement with leadership by our youth, the Aragalaya, impacted to ensure the resignation of a near invincible President and his family members in government, as well as key officials. The people will not be satisfied by the election of a new President to fill the vacancy in this office if this once again results in a government headed by someone who is perceived to be closely associated with the same Pohottuwa government of GR. They have indicated that they will not trust such a government to resolve the current man-made crisis they have created themselves. This has had a devastating impact on their lives and their children and will also impact future generations. They realise that if the current political<\/strong> crisis is not resolved without any further delay, the country will lose all hope of resolving the prevailing economic<\/strong> crisis in a meaningful manner. We may not be able to obtain the international financial support and debt restructuring that will take Sri Lanka out of its bankruptcy and this man-made economic disaster.<\/p>\n

Our country\u2019s future is now in the hands of 225 members\u00a0of Parliament<\/strong>. It is their obligation to safeguard the public interest by understanding and accepting the current reality. The People expect them to fulfill their obligations as Members of Parliament elected to office. They are the representatives of the People in Parliament, who by their vote can heed the demand for change in governance by the peaceful transfer of power to an All-Party short term interim government.\u00a0It is also very clear that this vision will only be realised if a new President not linked<\/strong> to the GR government is elected next week by Parliament. Electing such a President is essential to give new leadership at this time and inspire confidence in the People.<\/p>\n

It is therefore critical that a new President and an All-Party government trusted by the People is put in office for a short interim period before General Elections can be held.\u00a0 Failure to do so because of narrow party politics, personal ambitions of high office, or worse, because of money paid for a vote, will become information in the public domain very soon. A secret ballot will not prevent the votes cast being analysed to clearly demonstrate to the People who heard the Peoples\u2019 voice for change, and who did not. Those MPs who put their party and personal ambitions above the public interest at this critical moment for the country, must know that the People will inevitably reject them for this betrayal, with their votes at the next election.<\/p>\n

Party Leaders of the Opposition must in particular\u00a0 \u00a0give critically important and vital leadership at this time, by putting aside party politics, and their personal ambitions and agendas. It is only by doing so that they will inspire the confidence that will place them in office to lead this nation, whenever elections are held. They must forge the unity that will help them field a SINGLE<\/strong> candidate\u00a0for the vital post of President who will not perpetuate the original Gotabhaya Rajapakse government.\u00a0 With his resignation, that government has lost any fragment of credibility and the right to represent the People.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0election for a new President in Parliament is in many ways a last chance to fulfill the urgent need to place governance in the hands of a different All Party interim government and bring the political stability that is the foundation of economic recovery. It is essential that a new President must be elected who can command the confidence of the People and lead an All-Party interim government.<\/p>\n

If the 225 Members of Parliament and Party Leaders fail our country by voting selfishly and without a future vision, they will be responsible for plunging all of us and our country Sri Lanka once again into chaos and conflict that will seriously impact all our lives.<\/p>\n

Signed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Savitri Goonesekere \u2013 Emeritus Professor of Law and former Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Arjuna Aluvihare \u2013 Emeritus Professor of Surgery, former Vice Chancellor University of Peradeniya and former Chairman, University Grants Commission<\/p>\n

Bishop Duleep de Chickera<\/p>\n

Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe<\/p>\n

Deepika Udagama \u2013 Professor of Law, University of Peradeniya and former Chairperson Human Rights Commission<\/p>\n

Jayadeva Uyangoda – Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Priyan Dias \u2013 Emeritus Professor, University of Moratuwa<\/p>\n

Geoffrey Alagaratnam – Presidents Counsel<\/span><\/p>\n

Harendra de Silva \u2013 Formerly Professor of Paediatrics, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Upul Sonnadara – Dean, Faculty of Science, Professor of Physics, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Camena Guneratne \u2013 Dept. of Legal Studies, former Dean Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Open University of Sri Lanka,<\/p>\n

Gananath Obeysekere – Emeritus Professor Princeton University USA<\/p>\n

Thiru Kandiah \u2013 Professor of English<\/p>\n

Arjuna Parakrama \u2013 Professor of English, University of Peradeniya<\/p>\n

Gameela Samarasinghe \u2013 Dept. of Sociology, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Farzana Haniffa \u2013 Dept. of Sociology, University of Colombo<\/p>\n

Shamala Kumar \u2013 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.<\/p>\n

Ranjini Obeysekere Formerly\u00a0 \u00a0Princeton University USA,<\/p>\n

Ranil Abayasekara \u2013 Retired Senior Lecturer, University of Peradeniya<\/p>\n

D. C. Ambalavanar, Visiting Lecturer in Surgery, University of Jaffna<\/p>\n

Rev Dr. Jayasiri Pieris – General Secretary of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka<\/p>\n

Andrew Devadason,\u00a0 Clergy, Anglican Church, Diocese of Colombo.<\/p>\n

Chandra Jayaratne \u2013 former Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce<\/p>\n

Rohini Nanayakkara – Former General Manager, Bank of Ceylon and Chairperson LOLC<\/p>\n

Shanthi Dias -former Principal, Methodist College, Colombo<\/p>\n

Yohesan Casie Chetty – Attorney – at – Law and former Headmaster St. Thomas\u2019 Preparatory School Kollupitiya<\/p>\n

Tara de Mel \u2013 former Secretary, Ministry of Education<\/p>\n

A C Visvalingam \u2013 former President, Citizens Movement for Good Governance<\/p>\n

D Wijayanandana \u2013 Engineer<\/p>\n

Dr Nalinika Obeyesekere – Veterinary\u00a0Surgeon Colombo<\/p>\n

Harsha Gunasena – Chartered Accountant<\/p>\n

Bhavani Fonseka \u2013 Attorney at Law<\/p>\n

Yamini Ravindran \u2013 Attorney-at-Law<\/p>\n

Safana Gul Begum – Attorney-at-Law<\/p>\n

Ranitha Gnanarajah – Attorney-at-Law<\/p>\n

Shiekh M B M Firthous \u2013 Chairman, Bismi Institute<\/p>\n

Shreen Saroor – Human Rights Activist<\/p>\n

Ruwanthie de Chickera – Artists of the People\u2019s Movement<\/p>\n

Vanie Simon \u2013 Women\u2019s Rights Activist<\/p>\n

Bisliya Butto \u2013 Women\u2019s Rights Activist<\/p>\n

Mirak Raheem \u2013Activist<\/p>\n

Aneesa Firthous-\u2013 Women\u2019s Rights Activist<\/p>\n

Anberiya Haniffa -\u2013 Women\u2019s Rights Activist<\/p>\n

Alliance for Minorities<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Action Network<\/p>\n

Mannar Women\u2019s Development Federation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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