Dr. Sudath Gunasekara Former Permanent Secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayaka and Ex- President of the Sri Lanka State Administrative Services Association (1991-19194)

22.11.2019.

H.E. The President,

Sir ,

Your decision to appoint 15 Cabinet Ministers only, is excellent and highly commendable. The whole country admires it as the beginning of a New Political Culture and Statecraft in this country, as you have promised in your manifesto.  This is said to be the smallest Cabinet after 1956. As you know 1956 was the turning point in Sri Lankan politics in national resurgence. The second re-emergence reappeared in 2005 with Mahinda Rajapaksa’s victory and culminated in 2009 with the elimination of the LTTE under his leadership and you’re commanding the Armed Forces. But that emergence was short-lived and again robbed by the reactionary forces in 2015.   

I suggest you strict to this policy of a leaner Cabinet even after the next General Election so that it will turn to be the third turning point, in the political history of this country after the so-called 1948 Independence, that will be irreversible, and you will go down in history as a hero who rescued this country from all colonial legacies and who made this Island nation once again a fully independent and a free and a proud nation.

 This I think is the wish of all those who voted you in. Since this country has failed to emerge as an Independent, free and prosperous country for 71 years due to poor and bad political leadership that was the misfortune and the curse of the nation.

Appointment of Deputy Ministers

I suggest you appoint only 15 Deputy Minister as well, to these 15 Cabinet Ministries, of cause with clear responsibilities assigned, and refuse the madness of appointing another set of Ministers called State Ministers and Non-Cabinet Minister as it has become a big fast and a Joke as well, just to keep some crazy politicians happy, of course without doing any service to the country. However, for practical purposes you may appoint 2 Deputies to the Prime Minister considering the heavy volume ha has to handle.

Also your attention is drawn to the joke of having another set of Ministers called Ministers of State as if others are not. Similarly, the appointment of non-Cabinet or any other such as Ministers with many other names, like Special Projects and without Portfolio, etc should also be stopped. I would also suggest that even after the next General Elections you strict to this number of Ministers and Deputy Ministers for the next five years ignoring the number set by the Constitution as 30 Cabinet Ministers and 40 Non-cabinet. Those MPPs who are disgruntled may be asked to find other jobs outside the Parliament and the Parliament should cease to be a place providing princely jobs for politicians under your Government at least now. They must be told that they have come here to serve the people and not to bleed them at their expense. If you are strict with these principles, I can assure you that you will definitely get the necessary 2/3 in the next Parliament for you to get a new Constitution based on the civilization of this country passed, making the way for the necessary legal framework.

I also suggest that you reduce the number of MPP to around 130 but not exceeding 150 that could be formed into 15 Executive Committees as it was done during the State Council days where the Chairmen of the Committees can be appointed as Ministers. This arrangement will help you to run a Government even without Political Parties, which has become a bane and a veritable curse to this country.

Moreover, the appointment of National list MP for any existing vacancy may also be withheld until you make a decision on the National List after the next General Election to abolish it.

The National list

The so-called National list is a major anachronism in our body politics as it serves only political parties to appoint personal friends of party leaders who can never come to Parliament through elections. This system has created a new version of Democracy that could be called backdoor Democracy” This list was invented by political parties just to increase their vote in Parliament only and never to serve the people.  None of these National list MPP has done any service up to date. Look at the performance of National list Ministers in the past, particularly men like Malik Samarwickrama, Anoma Gamage, Sarath Fonseka, C H.Marasinha, Jayampathi Wikramaratna, A.H.M Fousi. SB Dissanayaka, M.L.H Hisbulla, and Vijitamuni Zoysa, some of whom are defeated Candidates, a disgrace to politicians.

 What is more, is these fellows are not answerable to the people and they are answerable only to their Party leaders as they are appointed by them. So where is Democracy? It is a very big danger to democracy to have such people in Parliament who bark and act only on behalf of their Party leaders who have their own private agendas.

To my knowledge, there has been only one National list MP in the history of this innovation, who has done some useful service to the country. That is Luxman Kadiragamar, the best Foreign Minister we ever had. But one swallow does not make a summer.

Therefore why have another 29 jokers and parasites like this at public expense, as if 195 are not enough, whereas actually we can do a better job with a Parliament of 130 or 150 the most. What the people want today is a lean Parliament and a lean Cabinet of quality men and women who are committed to serve the people who can make this country a miracle in the world or at least in Asia and definitely not a set of highway robbers and looters like what we had in the recent past where the leaders ended up with looting the Central Bank of the nation and thereby who put it even behind Afganisthan within 4 years.

I assure you, Sir, you can add few more glittering jewels to your crown in addition to what you have already won if you listen to these requests so that you can go down in history as the man who created irreversible history in Good Governance in this country.

Best wishes,

Dr.Sudath Gunasekara.