Dilrook Kannangara

Executive presidency was introduced to create an unfair advantage for the UNP as it has a lion’s share of the minority vote. This was the intention in 1978 when it was created. In a 1966 speech to the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science, JR Jayawardena proposed executive presidency as the UNP faced tough Sinhala opposition for coming into a governance coalition with Tamil parties ACTC and ITAK (D-C Pact). True to its purpose, executive presidency turned Sinhalese into political refugees and worthless voters in their own country. At the 2015 presidential election, 60% of Sinhala voters rejected Sirisena but it had no impact on the outcome. Sirisena easily won the race with the support of separatists, LTTE Rump, extremists and NGOs. Mahinda did his very best to appease separatists and extremists but still lost very badly for an incumbent. Mahinda is the only incumbent president to lose a presidential election.

Executive Presidency Reduced the Majority into a Minority

Presidential elections are a mockery of democracy. Majority’s rejection can become all powerful executive president and appoint the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. He can even appoint top officers of the Central Bank and government institutions. As per Singapore Principles (June 2013) to which Sirisena agreed as the Common Candidate, the heart of the national economy – the Central Bank – must remain in the hands of a Tamil. Sirisena follows it to the letter. Tamil loan mafia operates hand in glove with the Central Bank. Tamil lenders have lent loans to Vanni residents at over 20% interest rate per month and the Central Bank intervenes to settle those loans! It also obliged him to devolve more powers to Tamils beyond the current federal state of the nation.

In 1987 when India invaded the island nation, the entire parliament except one MP rejected it but the executive president surrendered the nation to Indian invaders. He agreed to advance Indian hegemonic interests into the island and turn the nation into a federal country. The word ‘unitary’ was left in the Constitution just to fool the majority. Despite the sham unitary word, Sri Lanka is an extreme federal nation since 1987 with the parliament or the president unable to take back provincial powers without all provincial councils agreeing.

Since 1994 all executive presidents and main contestants have promised even more federal (devolution) powers to the periphery. The longer executive presidency is kept, the more the nation disintegrates.

Presidential Elections During War Time

Presidential elections during war time is no equal to peacetime presidential elections. Tamils were not allowed to vote in full force during the war and the presidential election outcome changed as a result. At the 1988 presidential election voters’ turnout in the Northern Province and parts of the Eastern Province (they were merged then) were dismally low. As a result the more nationalist candidate (Premadasa) won. If Tamils voted in full force, Sirima would have won. In 1988 Sirima entered into an electoral alliance with Ponnambalam of the ACTC. Anura, Lasantha Wicrkamatunga and Ponnambalam were caught by the Indian army after visiting the LTTE to gain election support!

However, in 1994, the candidate sympathetic to the LTTE won after her main rival was killed by Tamils.

In 1999 the less separatist candidate narrowly won thanks to voting disruptions in the north. If there was no war, she could not have secured 50% and a re-run would have ensured her rival winning it. In 2005, Mahinda won with a razor thin margin. If Tamils voted in full force, the more separatist candidate would have won.

Relying on Tamils not voting at a presidential election during peacetime is foolish. Tamils always vote for the more separatist candidate.

Manipulate Just One Person and the Whole Nation Surrenders

Buying a president is far easier than buying 150 MPs. This is what happened in 1987 and many times thereafter. India used threats to buy JR Jayawardena the executive president. He then used threats of violence to get the parliament and the Supreme Court approve 13A to federalize the nation. Government MPs and their families were trapped in hotels and forced them to vote in support of 13A. The same thing happened after 2010. The president was terrorized with false war crimes allegations forcing him to shower various benefits on the Tamil community, remove military bases in the north and keep Sinhala and Muslim displaced people away from the north.

Chandrika also tried her very best to introduce her ‘package’. It failed only thanks to the parliament and the LTTE.

This is the true nature of the executive presidency. It must be abolished before further destruction is caused to the nation.