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Friday, 2 November 2012

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IMPEACHMENTS AND CONSPIRACIES

An impeachment motion was tabled in the House yesterday seeking to remove the Chief Justice of the country. This may be seen as unfortunate, but necessary. This certainly is not unprecedented as a similar motion was tabled seeking the ouster of a Chief Justice prior to this, even though what was sought was not accomplished on that occasion.

Clearly, the legislature the judiciary and the executive being the three arms of state have to work in tandem, and nobody should sabotage the delicate coexistence of these power centres. It appears latterly that things have gone against this reasonable expectation. Conspiracies against progressive governments have been legion in this country, reminded the President speaking at the Insurance Corporation on Wednesday. The words are rather pertinent in the current backdrop of events. The cynical who love to scoff at what they call 'conspiracy theories' would probably not care to remember that S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was shot dead --- in what was after all a locally hatched conspiracy, even though there are always those who have surmised that there was a foreign hand behind it.

Be that as it may, campaigns to destabilize governments are very real - and they have been real in this country as in many others, both in Asia and away. The late and lamented Mr. Bandaranaike was assassinated. There was an insurrection that almost derailed the Sirimavo Bandaranaike coalition of the 70s. A government that the current President was a Cabinet minister in, the Chandrika Kumaratunga administration, was dislodged midstream in the 1990s and led to the first cohabitation experiment under the Executive Presidency, which turned out to be a disaster for both the Premier and the President who figured in that protracted political pantomime.

Scoffing at 'conspiracy theories' therefore - particularly against progressive governments as cited above - can be seen as an elite pastime to blur the reality that conspiracies are most of the time hatched in the elite upper echelons of society, against what are deemed to be people's regimes, or proletarian governments representing the plebes.

It's the same folks who say conspiracy theories are imagined, who also snigger at the thought of any ruling 'progressives.' Progressive essentially means left of centre in the general parlance, and relative to the ultra-right UNP governments, all SLFP-left coalitions have been progressive, even though 'progressive' is also a relative term as there would be quite a bit of argument as to whether the Chandrika regime can be deemed progressive by any yardstick.

This is the problem. Conspirators and assorted saboteurs can topple a not so progressive government such as the Kumaratunga government as well, and if so, the conspiratorial forces that could be arraigned against a far more progressive force such as the current regime cannot be underestimated. Many of the present efforts to undermine this government are also connected to the issue of poverty alleviation for instance (we shall say Divineguma and no more on that subject ...) and who is to question that poverty alleviation is NOT a progressive issue?

There are also the almost visible and barely concealed connections that can be seen in all of the current destabilization efforts that are aimed against the elected regime that represents the people's choice. It seems there was a carefully calibrated effort to insidiously create a crisis between the separate arms of state -- judiciary executive and legislature. The less said about this aspect the better, but it is sufficient to refer the reader to Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris's analysis on this page surrounding the appointment of the secretary to the Judicial Services Commission.

A sitting administration can be weakened in various insidious ways. In that respect suffice to say that the 13th amendment is seen by many as a Damocles sword that hangs over the fate of the governing administration at the centre.

Already, there are the think-tank eggheads who have jumped the gun on the issue of giving the nod to any piece of legislation that is referred to these Councils in a situation in which the Northern Provincial Council is non existent. This is mischievous, and smacks of a concerted effort to puncture a vulnerable Achilles heal, and bring down the edifice of government.

Not that any sane person would say that anything including governments can or should go on forever. But if they are to be brought down, it has to be by legitimate means and via the assent of the people, and not through insidious maneuvering.

‘JSC, tribunal of limited jurisdiction’ - Part II:

Who is trying to frighten whom?

In many instances diverse theories of laws have been created to suit different societies. Discretionary powers cannot be used in self-willed or arbitrary manner. This is contrary to the sovereignty of the law. Our constitution has not given the Judicial Service Commission unlimited discretionary power. The appointment of a senior person is a compulsory requirement. Has this been done? It has not been done. Therefore, this House declares that this is a violation of the constitution. Due to this appointment the constitution of Sri Lanka has been clearly violated,

Full Story

The Lotus Heart

Animal FARM

The rat, cow, pig and the hen were good friends. No one could severe their bond. But the rat was not quite welcome in that farm. The other three were there for some purpose, and the rat came from somewhere. All the same they were good friends.

Full Story

Uva destroyed by the Brits now soars

The Uva Wellassa region where thousands of our forefathers laid down their lives for the liberation of the country from the clutches of British imperialism is slowly emerging from centuries of poverty with greater attention paid by the government for its development.

Full Story

Film only for ‘EDUCATED ADULTS’

The present era of elevated, cinematic, foreign festival oriented films are very deep. But most of them and documentary films are separated from just a cotton thread,

Full Story

 

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