Don’t compromise on the ‘country first’ policy

When President Maithripala Sirisena came out of a virtual nowhere to be elected as the Executive President in the people’s silent revolution of January 8, last year he and other government leaders pledged repeatedly that their policies would go beyond petty party politics and the principle would be the country first, the country second and the country third. 

Unfortunately after the August 17 General election and during the past few months, President Sirisena has made or has been compelled to make some compromises in the country first policy. For instance many analysts were critical of his move to give national list nominations to some defeated candidates and even give them portfolios as ministers or deputy ministers. 

This week the split in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the United People’s Freedom Alliance reached a breaking point. On Monday, the President who is also the leader of the SLFP and the UPFA, called a three-hour meeting of SLFP ministers, deputies and MPs loyal to him. The same day, at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Mirihana residence, the dissident group also met and decided to form a new party, and an alliance with a different name and a symbol. Rajapaksa sources say as many as 50 dissident MPs participated at the meeting.

The new party or alliance is to officially write to the Elections Commissioner seeking registration within two weeks. The move was apparently timed to coincide with local council elections scheduled to be held sometime in July this year.

But Presidential sources have indicated that mainly due to conflicts over the delimitation of wards and proposals including electoral reform issues being sought for the new Constitution, the local council election may be delayed till next year.

Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha insisted this week that the local council elections would be held midyear but some political analysts also say the President would prefer to put off the elections till the crisis in the party is settled, if a settlement is possible. In Parliament on Tuesday, the dissident row sought permission from the speaker to work as an independent faction. When permission was not granted, there was pandemonium in Parliament, with deputy speaker Thilanga Sumathipala charging that some members had behaved like terrorists. 

Presidential sources also said tough disciplinary action would be taken against MPs who violated the party constitution by joining another party. But in terms of the constitution -- after the Rajadurai Amendment in the 1980s and former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva’s controversial interpretation of it -- any MP could go to the Supreme Court and challenge his or her removal. This process would take years. 

We understand President Sirisena’s dilemma in trying to protect the SLFP and taking policy decisions where the well-being of the country is given priority over personal or party gain. But one of the foundational principals of the National Government is the country first policy and we urge the President to stand by it because it is vital for the building of a multi-racial and multi-religious Sri Lanka on the principal of unity in diversity. Only in this way can Sri Lanka make economic progress based on an eco-friendly and all inclusive development strategy with the vision of creating a just society whereby Sri Lanka could be a model or the wonder of Asia. 

To a larger extent,  the rule of law and judicial independence have been restored. Even yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that certain provision of the Theravada Buddhism Kathikawatha Bill were inconsistent with the Constitution and could be passed only with a two thirds majority in parliament and a yes vote by the people at a referendum. As an alternative, the court ruled the government would need to amend those clauses and most analysts believe the government will make those amendments in the highest traditions of the Constitution.