Western/Indian envoys & Foreign Media – do not stir trouble in Sri Lanka
US, UK, Canada & EU as well as UN stand guilty of helping regime change in Sri Lanka. There is no two words about that. Their statements are clear giveaways. They brought to power a bunch of puppets, gave them a carte blanche to steal and drain the nation dry so long as these powerful nations of the West were handed their wishlists, which meant a change of constitution claiming it to resolve Tamil minority problem but in reality was to enable the West to put a foothold in newly divided territory to embark on their pivot to Asia program. Though this plan had the help of India it is likely that India felt it was also being manipulated & used. The foreign media together with UN statements ensured the present government was painted as crusaders of peace, angels of human rights while the former President was portrayed as a dictator insinuating what the West does to dictators (Saddam, Gaddafi, Milosevic) It was this veiled threat that rallied people to defend the former leader as a nation was not ready to fall for the coloured revolutions that the West were masters at orchestrating. Now they find themselves in an unexpected predicament though no doubt they are adept at transferring any bad situation into their advantage.
So with their man-Friday now out of job or unceremoniously removed, the foreign envoys are telling the new government to abide by the constitution but when the constitution was being tweaked, manipulated and violated by their chosen government they saw fit to stay silent & not a hum was made from any of them objecting.
Now with the removal of Ranil as PM and the appointment of Mahinda as PM alongside a gazette notification what do they do – pay a visit to the Prime Minister & probably decide on a plot together. The West works in cohesion with foreign media & therefore there should be no surprise in the parroted statements being issued by them – constitutional crisis – impeding violence – return of the dictator – fear for minorities are just some of the emotional buttons they like to press & it is quite obvious that they have directed Ranil & Co to instigate protests which they know can be turned into colured revolutions giving them the needed justification to interfere, reprimand & even take action against the Sri Lankan government. Having viewed their strategies & tactics we can well guess what they are up to. These manipulated games have resulted in the death of an innocent person by a minister of Ranil’s government whose security has shot him & two others are in critical condition.
Given that the foreign envoys & foreign media enjoy commenting on everything & anything why are they silent about the attempted assassination plot on the President of Sri Lanka by allegedly the PM and a Minister. This is a very serious allegation & warrants investigation & arrests. Holding elections were delayed for 3 years – not a hum from foreign media or insistence to hold elections by foreign envoys.
Rampant corruption but not a sound from all those anti-corruption crusaders and now after their man has been removed the foreign envoys asks the new government to abide by the constitution & refrain from violence. The behavior of the Western envoys India & Japan are raise issues related to protocol violations.
US Papers
New York Times: Sri Lanka’s President Suspends Parliament, Escalating Political Crisis” By Dharisha Bastians and Maria Abi-Habib. Incidentally, Dharisha Bastians is the new editor of Sunday Observer! As per the article who is saying the removal of Ranil & replacement of Mahinda is unconstitutional, it is none other than Jayadeva Uyangoda who says The removal of the prime minister is a function of Parliament, unless he resigns.” Incidentally this is the same Uyangoda who called LTTE leader Prabakaran ‘humane’.
Washington Post
Sri Lanka veers toward crisis as prime minister dismissed, parliament suspended” By Amantha Perera and Joanna Slater, the article refers to end of the national unity coalition”
The article also states During his tenure, Rajapaksa used brutal force to end the country’s long civil war and faced allegations of corruption and political violence” clearly recycling the same terms used by all media. Obviously as per the foreign envoys & foreign media have completely ignored the corruptions taking place with impunity since January 2015.
UK Papers
Guardian: Sri Lanka faces crisis as two stake claim to be lawful prime minister-Incumbent clings to post as president arranges return of strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa”. Quoting correspondent Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters claiming ‘uncertain legal basis’. The reporter is totally incorrect to claim Ranil was still living at Temple Trees, the prime ministerial residence” as he resided at his own residence & not Temple Trees. The article also quotes an usual culprit and contributor to the 2015 regime change – Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group said the country was in deep turmoil. Even through years of war, Sri Lanka has never had a transfer of power whose legality was questioned,”. The article adds The UK and Australian high commissions have warned their citizens to avoid political gatherings” while the US embassy has asked to follow the constitution.
India
NDTV Ousted Sri Lanka PM refuses to vacate official residence”
The Hindustan Times
Sri Lanka’s political turmoil could lead to closer China ties” clearly shows what worries India.
Al Jazeera
Sacked Sri Lanka PM given ‘deadline’ to vacate residence” – ‘As political crisis worsens, president suspends parliament and Wickremesinghe’s opponents threaten to storm residence’ by Rathindra Kuruwita & Zaheena Rasheed. Talk about sensationalism Political opponents of Sri Lanka’s sacked leader Ranil Wickremesinghe” – only one person, the President of the country sacked RanilW.
Al Jazeera quotes Friday Forum, a group of prominent public intellectuals, also condemned Sirisena’s actions in a statement, saying they “demonstrate a flagrant disregard of the mandate he received from a majority of voters who … voted for a change of regime from the Rajapaksa style of governance”. Where was this Friday Forum when after a Presidential Election in 2015 the same President that appointed Mahinda Rajapakse as Prime Minister in 2018, appointed Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minsiter without removing the sitting PM D.M. Jayaratne and Ranil had only 46 UNPers in Parliament in 2015. whereas Rajapakse is having 96MPs in 2018. Friday Forum has clearly displayed its bias & lost its credibility by this statement & the lack of any statement in 2015.
The below photo depicts these foreign envoys going to meet former PM at Temple Trees where even two days after being removed from PM post, the former PM remains without leaving.
These are some of the other headlines from news
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena suspends parliament amid …
Khaleej Times
Former Sri Lanka strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa ‘ousts prime minister …
The Times
Sri Lanka’s president suspends parliament amid deepening crisis
Wiltshire Times
Sri Lanka president suspends parliament amid crisis
The Straits Times
Turmoil in Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return poses challenges …
In-Depth-Firstpost
Sri Lanka’s president sacks one-time ally as prime minister
Financial Times
Suddenly we have a set of ‘constitutional experts’ who say the appointment of Mahinda Rajapakse as PM is unconstitutional. Can these experts show any clause in the 19a that says the President CANNOT remove the Prime Minister? There is no such clause. If there was a clause that denies the President from removing the PM then there is a problem but in the light of there being no such clause it is left open to interpretations only.
There next objection is that Mahinda Rajapakse does not have the confidence of Parliament in terms of numbers. If in 2015 the same President could appoint Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister because he as President thought Ranil had the confidence of the House inspite of having just 46MPs why can’t this same logic apply to Mahinda’s appointment by the same President when Mahinda has at present 96MPs? That argument is also useless.
It is without a doubt that the drafters of the 19a having put forward a decoy as common candidate for the 2015 Presidential Election planned to push the 19a to craftily transfer Presidential powers to the Prime Minister – not any Prime Minister but only Ranil whom they hoped would be in power so that he would do their bidding. What happened on 26th October 2018 was totally unexpected & something they are unlikely to have a template for!
If Article 3 places inalienable sovereignty with the people isn’t it the people who should decide the term of office for the President the People elect? How come Parliament decided via 19a?
Everyone talking law now has forgotten their silence over the legality of the government that ruled from Jan to August 2015 claiming itself to be a ‘national unity government’ though a promise was given to hold elections after 100 days. Why didn’t the foreign envoys & foreign media not demand why parliament was not dissolved & elections held on 23 April 2015 as promised. Why are they now demanding to reconvene Parliament?
The supposed National Government officially comprised just 2 parties UNP & SLFP and MOU was signed by them only. The issue here is both UNP & SLFP did not contest as single parties – they contested under alliances so how can only these two parties sign MOUs for a National Government? Where were the objections to these illegalities? All of those talking law now were totally silent when rejected candidates were given portfolios 11 of the 29 national seats went to rejected candidates!
All those talking about keeping to the constitution were also silent when the 100 day program was announced on 11 Jan 2015 promising a 25 member cabinet but on 12th Jan the cabinet became 27 and by 26th February 2015 there were 45 cabinet, 55 non cabinet which was 18 in January 2015. 19a in April 2015 made the cabinet into 30.!
Why were there no uproars when the slogan of national government was used only to entice 26 SLFP MPs to create a 77-member ‘national’ government and MOU signed on 21 August 2015 to last 2 years. This expired in August 2017. Technically, there is no national government given that the MOU was signed only to last 2 years & there was no new MOU signed thereafter.
Leaving aside the expiry of the MOU in August 2017, the 26MPs of the SLFP left the ‘national government’ thereby automatically ceasing to exist & this was what enabled President Sirisena to appoint Mahinda Rajapakse as Prime Minister legally & constitutionally. The ‘constitutional experts’ now giving their legal opinions on the unconstitutionality of what President Sirisena has done have totally ignored that there is no national government now & with the SLFP MPs walking out of the government that unity government with PM Ranil have no legal validity to exist & this is what gives the President the legal right to appoint whom he feels commands the confidence of Parliament & it does not necessarily mean in numbers as such a numerical requirement is not mentioned in the 19a. In short PM can hold office only until cabinet has powers. SLFP leaving means that cabinet falls apart and PM Ranil has no powers.
Therefore, the foreign envoys & foreign media now in shock as their puppets are now without jobs need to first tell them not to cause violence, to ask their man to leave Temple Trees with dignity & demand action to be taken for the loss of 2 lives innocently killed by a member of Ranil’s government. Contrary to what the West was hoping for the violence that has occurred has been by their own puppets and this should cause another embarrassment to them.
Every minute that Ranil remains in Temple Trees with their MPs causing all sorts of mayhem & chaos it reflects the instructions that are being given to them by their western masters via foreign envoys.
We did not expect the West & their inquisitorial mentality to compromise innocent lives.
Shenali D Waduge
