Political reforms after polls: Fact or fiction

National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa told the SLBC Sinhala Service on Sunday (March 7) that he expected the UPFA to win around 12 seats from the Colombo District at the forthcoming Parliamentary Election.

According to him those Tamils and Muslims who did not cast their votes at the last Presidential Election were bound to vote for the UPFA this time. He predicted that the TNA would face their worst defeat at this election having made the wrong choices and aligned themselves with anti-national forces.

The controversy over the UPFA’s appeal to voters for a two-thirds majority at the next election notwithstanding both Government and Opposition supporters by and large agree that a Constitutional change is long overdue – whether it is abolishing the executive presidency or limiting the president’s powers. However the UNP alleges that giving a two-thirds majority to the ruling alliance would herald the end of democracy in Sri Lanka, despite the government’s insistence that it is committed to constitutional reforms for greater democracy.

While Constitutional Affairs Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera and Education Minister Susil Premjayanth insist that a two-thirds majority is essential for the required reforms UNP’s Biyagama Organiser Ruwan Wijewardene says that the Government does not need two-thirds majority to do so if it is sincere on its much publicised desire towards such reforms. He also rules out the possibility of the UPFA getting a two-thirds majority.

The UPFA’s counter- allegation is that the Opposition – knowing that it cannot win this election – wishes that the ruling alliance would at least not win a two-thirds majority. UNP Secretary General Tissa Attanayake says that his party is ready to meet any eventuality.

Political observers attribute the Elections Commissioner’s failure to ensure that election laws are carried out effectively also to the present Constitution, which has weakened the country’s parliamentary democratic system since 1978.

In an interview with SLBC’s Subharathi program, Minister Gunasekera said that he and Cultural Affairs Minister W.A. Wishwa Warnapala had discussed this at length and had agreed that the issue must be relentlessly pursued after the election. Gunsekera said that he did not want to see that the call for Constitutional reforms to be reduced to a mere political slogan.

He noted that under the present system parliamentarians were distancing away from the people. For instance the Ambalangoda and Balapitiya electorates in the South had no MPs representing the people there.

“We need a parliament with a disciplined set of members – politicians who are not profit oriented but policy oriented. The present setup does not represent really people’s needs but class needs and the system has negatively affected all spheres – political, economic, cultural and social. We need a Parliament that really represents all sectors and an Opposition that does not oppose for the sake of opposing”

Gunesekara recalled that LSSP Leader Dr. N.M. Perera had foreseen the disaster the country would face as the result of the 1978 Constitution, shortly before he passed away in 1979. But to the rest of the people and politicians it had taken over 30 years to realize the folly of it.

Meanwhile President Rajapaksa has already expressed to the media his desire to reduce the Cabinet to 35 after the election and that the pruning will affect both seniors and juniors.

- Asian Tribune -