News
Direction Sri Lanka calls on MPs to elect person most suitable and acceptable to people as Prez
* Unflinching public attention is on each and every MP
Civil society grouping, Direction Sri Lanka, largely comprising professionals, yesterday called on MPs to act with conscience, solely in the national interest at this crucial juncture of our Country, forgetting all political and personal agendas and other interests, to ensure that the person most suitable and acceptable to the people, is elected as the President of the Republic.
In a letter addressed to the MPs, DSL said: Sri Lanka is currently going through the worst economic and political crisis since independence. Every segment of the citizenry is adversely affected. This situation without doubt is due to the misrule, corruption and the total failure of good governance by the popularly elected leaders specially in the last several years. A peaceful and mostly nonviolent uprising by the people, especially the youth, resulted in the resignation of the President, Prime Minister, several other Ministers and Officials considered responsible for this unacceptable state of affairs.
Following the resignation of the President, it is a matter of extreme urgency that a new President is elected and a stable government established to manage the recovery process. The onus and responsibility of filling the vacancy by electing a successor President has been placed on the Members of Parliament, by the Constitution. It is a responsibility that each Member of Parliament is required to perform for and on behalf of all people of this country, as their elected representatives.
In this context, we are greatly perturbed and wish to place on record our disappointment and displeasure concerning the fact that Parliament has been unable to select a person by consensus. From the information in the public domain, it appears that at present, there are no less than four persons who aspire to be elected to this office and that such nominations are being made along party lines.
In our view, the election of a President of the Republic at this critical juncture based on party affiliations for reasons of political expediency or political survival, is totally unacceptable. In the context of the recent events and the peoples’ aspirations, we consider that certain matters are of paramount importance, when electing the President of the Republic. It is imperative that the person to be elected as President of the Republic should be a person;
1. Who will unify and rally the Country rather than be one who will cause further dissension and division.
– The result of the election by itself, should be one which settles widespread protests that presently prevail. The Country and its people cannot afford a state of unending unrest and confusion and it is not one which could or should be quelled by the use of force.
2. Who will not be seen as an extension of the former regime or government, which has been resoundingly rejected by the people.
– The experience of the last few months amply demonstrates that a person or government perceived as such, does not and will not gain the confidence of the people.
3. Who will gain general acceptance and the confidence of the people within the Country as well as internationally.
– In our view, it is only a person who has general acceptance internally, that will be capable of gaining international acceptance.
4. Capable of bringing together all parties in Parliament to form a true National Government, which will work on a common minimum programme of work for the purpose of restoring the basic needs of the people within a short space of time and thereafter, proceed to hold a general election.
– A government formed by arbitrarily and manipulatively picking persons from different parties will not succeed, as amply proven in the last few months. Such a government will only aggravate the current economic and political situation in the Country.
5. Who is committed to the immediate repeal of the 20th Amendment and the restoration of at least the position under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, without any resort to transitional provisions for the preservation of any features of the 20th Amendment for any period of time.
– It should be noted that this is a fundamental demand of the people of this Country and any person who does not accept this principle will not be acceptable to the people. [The issue of continuation or otherwise of the Executive Presidential System or the transformation to a Parliamentary System of government should in due course be presented to the people for consideration.]
We request the Members of Parliament to be mindful that as demonstrated by the recent events, mere constitutional legitimacy of a person elected to the high office of the President of the Republic is insufficient to gain the acceptance and confidence of its people and the person needs moral legitimacy to govern.
We therefore call upon each Member of Parliament to act with conscience, solely in the National Interest at this crucial juncture of our Country, forgetting all political and personal agendas and other interests, to ensure that the person most suitable and acceptable to the people, is elected (preferably by consensus) as the President of the Republic. The unflinching public attention is on each and every Member of Parliament at this critical moment of this Nation.
‘Bar Association must reveal its stand’
Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’ has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case.
Speaking to The Island on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on 30 April would be given on 25 May. Tennakoon said that addressing the NPP’s main May Day rally at Maharagama, the President asked the people to be ready to celebrate that verdict. The President couldn’t have said so if he hadn’t been aware of the impending verdict, Tennakoon said, while emphasising the responsibility on the part of the Bar Association to state its position on the issue.
‘Free Lawyers’ recently captured pubic attention following its exposure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.
Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Maithri Gunaratne, PC, on Monday, 4 April, wrote to both CJ Surasena and President of the Bar Association Rajeev Amarasuriya.
Alleging that President Dissanayake’s declaration caused immense harm to the independence of the judiciary and raised controversy over the judgement that would be given on 25 May, ‘Free Lawyers’ organisation also asked the CJ to inquire into whether the entire judicial process was under political pressure.
Tennakoon said that they expect the Bar Association to reveal its position on President Dissanayake’s statement. Tennakoon pointed out that during the May Day address, President Dissanayake made reference to 15 cases that were to be taken up during this month, whereas Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister, as well as Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, mentioned nearly 10 names of politicians, both sitting and former lawmakers, to be summoned beginning, May.
Tennakoon said that the NPP appeared to have used May Day to counter growing accusations over the Colombo port container controversy, coal scam, Rs 13.2 bn NDB fraud and theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury and USD 625,000 from the Sri Lanka Postal Service.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Isabelle Martin over the last weekend met representatives of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) in the East. Tamil Guardian reported that talks focused on the challenges facing the Tamil people.
The meeting was held at the office of ITAK Member of Parliament Kaveendiran Kodeeswaran and brought together parliamentarians representing the Batticaloa and Ampara districts, alongside local government officials including divisional council chairpersons.
Discussions centred on a range of pressing issues, including livelihoods, access to education, employment opportunities and ongoing human rights concerns, as well as the broader state of democratic governance in the region.
High Commissioner Martin sought updates on prevailing socio-economic conditions, particularly the challenges confronting local communities in the East. She noted the concerns raised and indicated that she would follow up on the matters discussed.
Among those present were ITAK MPs Kaveendiran Kodeeswaran, Gnanamuthu Sirinesan and Dr Elayathamby Srinath, along with several local council representatives.
A section of residents of Keppapilavu, in Mullaitivu, on May Day protested. demanding the release of lands still occupied by the military, 17 years after the end of the armed conflict.
They reiterated their longstanding demand for the return of lands seized by the military, in 2009, to establish a camp, sources in the North said. For over 17 years, Keppapilavu residents have sustained a continuous campaign of protests, petitions and advocacy efforts, calling for the right to resettle on their original lands, they said.
Despite limited releases under successive governments, protesters stressed that substantial areas remain under military control. They highlighted that 171 acres were yet to be returned, including 59.5 acres of residential land and 111 acres of agricultural land. The residential areas once supported over 55 families and included homes, schools, places of worship and shared community spaces.
Holding placards and chanting slogans, demonstrators said that their struggle extends beyond land ownership, framing it as a fight for dignity, livelihood and the restoration of a community life disrupted since 2009.
Residents declared that since the current government assumed office, multiple appeals have been made through formal channels, including submissions to the Presidential Secretariat and the Mullaitivu District Secretariat. However, they stated that these efforts have yielded no meaningful progress toward the release of the remaining lands.
Protesters called on Sri Lankan and the local authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to return the entirety of the occupied land, enabling displaced families to resettle and rebuild their lives without further delay.
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