By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The LSSP remnants Tissa Vitharana and Wasudeva Nanayakkara still hanging onto the Government as a sad reminder to a great political party that dominated the then political arena of Sri Lanka, had said that they oppose the Executive Presidency.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Marxism opposes parliamentary system of government ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ In explaining the class nature of bourgeois civilization, bourgeois democracy and the bourgeois parliamentary system, all Socialists have expressed the idea formulated with the greatest scientific precision by Marx and Engels (Engels Introduction to the The Civil War in France), namely, that the most democratic bourgeois republic is no more than a machine for the suppression of the working class by the bourgeoisie, for the suppression of the working people by a handful of capitalistsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In that context it is strange that Tissa Vitharana while opposing the Executive Presidency had said, that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-All the powers should be handed to Parliament so that the person who can get the consent of the majority could be appointed as the prime-minister.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Wasudeva Nanayakkara confirms the same idea by stating that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sri Lanka doesn’t need executive presidency powers. No extension of its tenure is necessary. A tenure which is responsible to Parliament is necessary to our country.”

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But if they oppose Executive Presidency to keep in line with Marxist theories, they cannot then accept the Parliamentary system as well which is opposed to Marxism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These are two ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- petit bourgeoisƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ , parliamentarians, a shade of the former LSSP who have still not learnt lessons from the mistakes of their past leaders.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When SWRD Bandaranaike invited the LSSP to join the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna , the LSSP Central Committee decided against it. That was the greatest mistake of the LSSP under Dr.N.M.Perera. He tried to repair later by joining the government of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike , which turned out to be a mistake, with Felix Bandaranaike an all powerful Minister in Mrs. BandaranaikeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cabinet , trying to overshadow Dr.N.M.Perera.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Having accepted the Parliamentary System, the LSSP should cooperate with a socialist government without standing by their Marxist principles. They should accept the reality of the situation that necessitates change in the interest of the country.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ By opposing the executive Presidency they are trying to deprive the country of a Socialist President with whom the LSSP and the Communist Parties could work together. The LSSP cannot form an alternative government and therefore it is in their interest to support the President who is doing a good job of work.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The LSSP failed as a political party from the beginning, because they were unable to feel the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-pulseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the country and move accordingly. They were putting all their cards organising the workers, when the real power was in the hands of the peasants, teachers, the monks and the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-vedamahattayasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. SWRD Bandaranaike capitalised on that.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To-day the people are with the President and there is no doubt about it. The LSSP and DEW Gunasekara of the Communist Party opposing the executive Presidency and constitutional amendments are going against the people.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The people are not interested in the Constitution, but they are interested in continuing to have Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse as their President for some more time. Instead of walking forward with the people, the LSSP and the CP are walking backwards against the people.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Executive Presidency could be used in the interest of the country or against it in the interest of the President, and to the detriment of the people. The President Mahinda Rajapakse had used his executive powers from the very beginning of his term of office in the interest of the country, and there is no reason to believe that he will not continue to do so in the future.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He had shown statesmanly characteristics and taken the country in the correct path to progress and development. His executive powers had given him the power and the drive to lead the country during its most difficult period, very ably leaving the responsibility of the war against terrorism in the hands of his trusted Defence Secretary, taking over on himself the task of facing the international community, and critics without allowing them to interfere with the more important aspect of the elimination of terrorism by the Armed Forces.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He used the executive Presidency, in the interest of the country and the people. He fortunately had a number of brothers on whom he could depend on to take over different branches of governance , giving him a free hand to look after the overall development projects for the country.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He carried out the different aspects of governance effectively and efficiently, despite political opposition, personal and political critics, international interference, aggressive local and international media, UN, Human Rights activists, European Union and Amnesty International. He was accused of corruption, malpractices, governing the country as a family affair, interfering into justice and police investigations, and also possible connivance in abductions and disappearances of media personnel.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He took all that in his stride without talking back, using his executive power to lock up the critics in State Prisons, being vindictive, resorting to strong arm tactics to stop his critics, or accusers. He was not perturbed, distracted, angered or ungracious. He met his friends and critics with the same polite smile and courtesy.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He has so far done considerable service to the country and his people. He has a peculiar ability to work as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-team leaderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. That is why in the short time since he had been elected President he had been able to carry out so many development projects some of which the previous political leaders had dared not attempt. The Hambantota Harbour Project is one such ambitious undertaking.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He has lot of projects in view and he has already taken Sri Lanka way up in development. If he is not allowed to continue his work plans now the losers will be the people of this country.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ His greater tasks are yet to be handled. He has eliminated fear of terrorism, every mother and father knows what a relief it is to send their children to school and expect them back in the evening. There was a time that a short walk to the market was a perilous journey, not knowing what to expect on the way. That itself is a great credit to the President Mahinda Rajapakse.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He has yet to undertake the serious task of reconciliation of the communities. There is no doubt that he will be able to do it, as well as the elimination of terrorism. Though lot of people criticise him for having all his family in the government, the people understand, that with them he has a trusted team to work with.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With the members of the family in charge, he would have none to undercut him, as it was with Sarath Fonseka. Sarath Fonseka was the only bad choice he made in the distribution of responsibilities. If he had a brother or an uncle to be the Commander of the Armed Forces then, instead of Sarath Fonseka, it would have been another family member , but yet some one he could have really trusted.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is rarely that a man like Mahinda Rajapakse is born to a country. There was a time that people spoke of Diyasena, when SWRD Bandaranaike became the President. There is no doubt that SWRD Bandaranayake was a great political leader who made the independence from colonialism more real to the people. Mahinda Rajapakse follows that great leader but with a greater vision to take our country to so far unknown heights.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Mahinda Rajapakse has also the ability to select the best man for a job, not necessarily a kinsman. He was criticised when he appointed Mr.Nivard Cabraal as the Governor of the Central Bank, but Mr. Cabraal too has taken his responsibility seriously doing enormously well as the Governor of the Central Bank. It has been reported that the Sri Lankan economic growth is ahead of all countries in South Asia-except Malaysia.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The President Mahinda Rajapakse has taken Sri Lanka away from the diplomatic isolation remaining far too long with the Western Nations, who had not always been friendly towards him and Sri Lanka. The Western Countries gave us repayable financial aid always under conditions. They even held us to ransom withholding GSP+ for instance, on issues that do not concern the grant of the concession.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But thanks to our President Mahinda Rajapakse we have enlarged our diplomatic standing and now there are friendly countries ready to help us unconditionally. There are thus many friendly Nations for us to fall back on.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We cannot change the President now to hand the Presidency to some one else who will take back Sri Lanka to what it had been a few years back.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is still lot more work to be done to heave Sri Lanka on to the pedestal development. Therefore, it is important that we make necessary constitutional amendments to keep Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President of Sri Lanka for a few more terms.