CONTRAVENTION REPLETE

Loud whispers ominously infer Chandrika is about to submit another ‘COMMON CANDIDATE’ for the forthcoming presidential election. God save us all! The first one she gave us has left no room for more; no, no, definitely no! He has left us REPLETE, well-fed, he is no stranger to controversy and in his 4 ½ years has orchestrated an unsuccessful coup, overseen one of the largest security lapses in the country, subverted the judiciary and the legislature, and successfully continued to remain the Executive President!

Sirisena has conveniently forgotten that he pledged to abolish executive presidency in 100 days and swore he would not run for a second term

Public anger simmers over the non-conclusion of inquiries into 21/4. Pujith and Hemasiri were the Fall Guys but the judiciary triumphed! When the damning evidence that threatened national security became public, Sirisena ordered State media to refrain from reporting on security and ordered the Prime Minister to cancel PSC hearings; threatening that if he didn’t, Cabinet meetings would be suspended. Ranil put his foot down and averred that suspending meetings would bring the country to a standstill.  

When the damning evidence that threatened national security became public, Sirisena ordered State media to refrain from reporting on security and ordered the Prime Minister to cancel PSC hearings

Sirisena refused to accept this explanation and instructed all serving officers to boycott the PSC as it would endanger national security. The Cabinet swiftly rebuked this saying any official summoned by the PSC was compelled to attend and if necessary they could give testimony confidentially. Sirisena’s attempts at further thwarting national security were evident when he removed National Intelligence Director Sisira Mendis.

Sirisena has consistently refused to abide by the law and respect the independence of the judiciary. He has never learnt a lesson; he attempted to illegally remove Ranil last year and dissolve Parliament, but fortunately, for the country, the Supreme Court upheld his actions as illegal. The vehemence of public opposition compelled him to relent and reappoint Ranil and his UNP Cabinet. This man never learns though, he continues to impede the independence of the judiciary which was restored by the 19th Amendment in 2015.

We gain and maintain power through empathy, but lose our focus on others in our experience of power

He pardoned BBS General Secretary Gnanasara Thera after he served less than one year of his six year sentence and released the SLFP Chairman who was sentenced to 18 years despite the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court upholding the sentence. One can only wonder what the actual purpose of these two blatant acts of defiance is; what Sirisena hopes to gain is known only to Sirisena himself! With the forthcoming presidential election, we can only surmise that he is garnering the support which he is desperately in need of, particularly in the light of all his vagaries. 

Sirisena has also conveniently forgotten that he pledged to abolish executive presidency in 100 days and swore he would not run for a second term. “POWER CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY” is what Lord Acton said. He went on to add: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost alwaysbad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you super add the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority. Despotic power is always accompanied by corruption of morality.”  

Sirisena has never learnt a lesson; he attempted to illegally remove Ranil last year and dissolve Parliament, but fortunately, for the country, the SC upheld his actions as illegal

Lord Acton elaborates further by saying: “Absolute power does indeed corrupt absolutely. The experience of power destroys the skills that gain us power in the first place. In these findings the power paradox strikes us with full force: The very practices that enable us to rise in power vanish in our experience of power. We gain and maintain power through empathy, but lose our focus on others in our experience of power.” AN ABSOLUTE SHINING DESCRIPTION OF OUR PRESIDENT! 

In the context of the prevailing political context, we are constrained to ask: “WHERE HAVE ALL THE CON MEN GONE?” Arjun Mahendran was last known to have been in Singapore, Udayangana in Dubai, Jaliya – apparently even his wife does not know where he is, the burden of guilt lies heavy; Aloysius and Paliasena are on bail, no conclusion arrived at on 21/4 as to who or what is responsible, Lasantha’s and Thajudeen’s murderers still walk free – what are we looking at here? Rape, drugs, killings, accidents and malfunctions are the order of the day here in our resplendent paradise isle! 

Rape, drugs, killings, accidents and malfunctions are the order of the day here in our resplendent paradise isle!

All around the world, natural disasters of gigantic proportions – ‘Quake rocks Philippines’ ; ‘Somalia 26 dead in hotel siege’ ; ‘Over 60 killed in South Asian Monsoon Rains’ ; ‘Tropical Storm Barry inundates Louisiana’ and it goes on and on. In the face of all these catastrophes, I would like to leave you with some words of wisdom and a rib tickler.