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Presidential Mettle And The Prime Minister's Credibilities Facing Severe Testing.

A calming wind seems to have settled the dust of the election maelstrom which has taken a severe toll on innocent lives due to the many indiscretions of the Leading Parties and their support and it is a testing time for the mettle of both the President and Prime Minister currently conducting business with a great deal of civility and decorum required of them as the world watches on.There are great wounds within the Nation which need to be healed and the President has taken the first step in hindsight by relinquishing both the portfolios she held as Minister of Defence and Finances to avert a standoff although the individuals awarded the respective portfolios have yet to prove themselves, being relative greenhorns to the jobs.

There is no doubt that, based on statements made by high politbureau members of the UNP that they do not envision the President as being a guardian angel, as to the contrary there still is apprehension and contempt towards her high office and unassailable powers which they would rather see effaced and the Presidency toppled in order for them to hold the full reins of power which they do not at present.There is little the UNP could really do to ursurp Presidential Power without a 2/3rd majority which they do not have(but are supposed to be working towards) and unlikely to get although the simple majority which they control is sufficient to set the motion in place and once again disrupt the Parliamentary Process through the needless bickerings which would surely ensue at a price. A more practical and viable option would be to work towards fortifying National Unity, resolving the ethnic crisis without harming the Nation's Unitary Integrity nor heeding the arrogant demands of the LTTE who have re-commenced their intimidatory stand through their voicings which have been unusually loud in the post election jubilation to which the Tamil Community in a fair measure has lent support. The Sinhala / Tamil animosity which has never receded permanently could easily be fomented into a burning inferno once more if the scenarios created by the LTTE are effected and the Administration lends any credence to their demands.

Here is an ideal opportunity for the New Premier to disprove all allegations of a UNP conspiracy with the LTTE by denying the demands being made for a replacement of appointed Cabinet Member Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena (though part of the theory not lacking in ambiguity) with MP. T. Maheswaran as the replacement where the consensus rests on a glorified status bestowed upon the outlawed LTTE. The transparent offer of LTTE goodwill and co-operation is illuminated as a radiance capable of resolving the woes of the Tamil Community whereas it seems to be none but a ploy to re-commence their push towards secession. The ball now is in the Premier's Court. It will be interesting to see if he has the courage and resolve to pick it up diligently and throw it back at the LTTE who have spared no time in making known their intentions which if he fails to do would further sway public opinion in favour of the Conspiracy Theory. One which if it gathers momentum would surely signal the demise of the new Prime Minister at the end of a years duration when the President could dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections.

It is a time for compromise indeed, and in the best interests of rebuilding and reconciling a troubled Nation with many grey areas but certainly not through subjugation to the LTTE nor a betrayal of integrity. A time for National Unity towards which the UNP has taken a positive step through talks with the JVP and an open door of conciliatory overtures to the PA. There is little doubt doubt about the ramifications of any concessions granted to the LTTE who have never ever proved any empathy towards the Sinhala Nation.There has to be a dissociation of the two entities, the Tamil Community which is a part of Sri Lankan Infrastructure and the LTTE a band of internationally condemned and outlawed terrorists with no voice in matters beneficial to the Nation where the former has every right to the privileges and freedoms of any Sri Lankan Citizen whereas the latter have to be identified as a destructive force capable of unleashing terror and destruction at any given opportunity. A capability which must be negated completely in order to establish a free and unified Nation.

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