Editorial
A sobering knock
Thursday 25th July, 2024
The SLPP-UNP government is a dead man walking. It is a danger to democracy. Its desperation to cling on to power knows no bounds. The Executive is usurping the powers of the other branches of government, and even issues warnings to the judiciary in a bid to intimidate the latter into submission.
The J. R. Jayewardene government, unable to tame the judiciary, had the houses of the Supreme Court (SC) judges stoned in 1983. Today, a beleaguered regime is hurling swipes at judges to browbeat them. Thankfully, all its efforts to intimidate the judiciary, which has retained public trust and provides much-needed ballast to democracy in these troubled times, have been in vain.
Yesterday, the SC granting leave to proceed with nine fundamental rights petitions against the appointment of IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, issued an interim order preventing him from functioning as the police chief. The Speaker of Parliament, the members of the Constitutional Council (CC), IGP Tennakoon, the Attorney General and several others have been named as respondents.
The petitioners have said, inter alia, that Tennakoon as the DIG (Western Province) neglected his duties in respect of the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019 and goon attacks on the Galle Face protesters in 2022, and has been found guilty of torture. Having appointed Tennakoon as the Acting IGP, the government elevated him to the post of IGP by manipulating the CC in the most despicable manner despite an SC order that the National Police Commission take disciplinary action against him for torture.
The government continues to bulldoze its way through. On Tuesday, one of its members demanded action against Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of the Public Finance Committee (COPF) over the release of a damning COPF report on what has come to be dubbed the on-arrival visa scam; it was argued that Dr. de Silva had violated the privileges of the other members of the committee! The ruling party MPs, who constitute the majority of the COPF, took exception to the report in question for obvious reasons. The government does not want its illegal deals exposed ahead of the next presidential election. Harsha can rest assured that all right-thinking Sri Lankans are on his side. More strength to his elbow!
The government’s message is loud and clear; if the heads of the parliamentary committees refuse to toe its line, they will have to face political witch-hunts. The ruling party MPs have even demanded that upright judges be summoned before the Privileges Committee.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena raised many eyebrows by casting his vote as the CC Chairman to facilitate the appointment of Tennakoon as the IGP. The CC was divided on his appointment. Four of its members voted for it; two opposed it, and two others abstained. The government peddled an absurd argument that the two abstentions could be considered votes against the appointment in question, and there was a tie, which the Speaker could vote to break. When Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa reminded the House of how the CC process had been abused, Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha said a no-faith motion had been moved against the Speaker over that issue and it had been defeated. The defeat of a no-confidence motion does not mean the person against whom it is moved is blameless. It may be recalled that the government shot down a no-faith motion against Minister Keheliya Rambukwella over some procurement rackets, but it was left with egg on its face when he was arrested and remanded. No wonder the people have lost faith in Parliament.
It is hoped that the government will appoint someone with an impeccable service record as the Acting IGP immediately in keeping with the SC order instead of trying to undermine the authority of the apex court. The Police Department is not short of good men and women.
The government has tendered an apology for the forced cremations during the Covid-19 pandemic. It chose to go by the opinion of some self-proclaimed experts, who also had a disastrous blanket ban imposed on agrochemicals, and ordered that all Covid-19 victims be cremated. Its apology is a baby step in the right direction although it smacks of a political gimmick. Similarly, the government ought to apologise for the shameful manner in which it manipulated the CC process to have Tennakoon appointed IGP. That is the least it can do to assuage public anger, which is brimming up.