21 July 2022
Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
EXECUTIVE POWER LED LANKAN PARLIAMENT
Confidentiality
is an essential aspect of autocracy and
its subjective power. Transparency is an essential aspect of Democracy and its facts
based objective power. In Democracy,
confidentiality of the individual to himself is the Executive power. This was protected
in Sri Lankan Parliament, under the leadership of the speaker:
[Speaker
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena today informed the Parliamentary Business Council that
MPs should not click pictures of their ballot papers and they should not be
forced or influenced to vote for any particular candidate in tomorrow's
Presidential election as this was against parliamentary rules.
Reports surfaced earlier today that some party leaders had informed
their MPs to picture their ballot papers tomorrow to prove which candidate they
had voted for.
When the matter was raised at the Parliament Business Council meeting,
Speaker Abeywardena said that according to Section 20 of the Presidential
Elections (special provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981, it outlines the rules
regarding the voting including prohibiting influencing or coercing MPs who are
voting in the election.
As this is a secret ballot any moves to force a MP to photograph their
ballot will result in them being banned from sitting in Parliament for seven
years. ] https://www.dailymirror.lk/latest_news/Any-move-to-force-a-MP-to-photograph-their-ballot-paper-will-result-in-7-year-ban-Speaker/342-241375
Section 20 of the Presidential Elections (special provisions) Act No. 2
of 1981 is a heritage of the Parliament that facilitated the soul power of the
Parliament as a sovereign entity. If not
for that soul-power protection many members would have voted on quid pro quo
basis, which is a negative karma that the Sri Lankan Parliament carries. This
was confirmed by the leader of the Opposition – Mr Sajith Premadasa who withdrew
from the Presidential race, at the last minute to back the candidate who was in
the same party as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Tamil National Alliance also confirmed
similar attitude by stating that it would vote for Sajith and when Sajith
withdrew, they promised to vote for Mr Dallas Alahapreuma:
Tamil National Alliance backs Rajapaksa-ally Dullas
Alahapperuma - https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamil-national-alliance-backs-rajapaksa-ally-dullas-alahapperuma
[The Tamil National Alliance has announced ahead of the election
that they would "unanimously" vote in favour of the Rajapaksa
acolyte Dullas Alahapperuma of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
In their announcement, they are photographed standing alongside the
opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary G.L. Peiris.]
The above confirms that the TNA acted contrary to the philosophy underpinning
confidentiality in casting the ballot required by Section 20 of the
Presidential Elections (special provisions) Act No. 2 of 1981, which outlines
the rules regarding the voting including prohibiting influencing or coercing
MPs who are voting in the election.
Lack of independence of the voter led to ‘Sinhala Only’ quid pro
quo, followed by ‘Buddhism foremost’ article
in the Constitution. Interestingly, Dr Dayan Jayatilleka indicates
this karma as follows:
Ranil-Rajapaksa Rearguard Must Meet Its
Political Nandikadal Today!
[…UNP opted for the polar opposite type—a
man who would take a tougher stand in the face of ‘the red rabble’ as the
power-elite of the day saw them. That man was Sir John Kotelawala,
ideologically the most rightwing personality in the island’s politics of that
time and also the most socially arrogant representative of the ancien regime. His advisor was today’s Acting
President, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s father, Esmond Wickremesinghe.
It is the choice of Sir John Kotelawala, his profile,
rhetoric and policies that resulted in the 1956 landslide that swept away the
UNP, and enthroned the policy of Sinhala Only in 24 hours. It caused the
fall of Ceylon/Sri Lanka.]
In essence, during the crisis, the Ancestral powers of the Parliament
were invoked by those Parliamentarians who respected elders in their personal /
family life. Towards this, they needed their soul-power. Mr Ranil
Wickremesinghe had two such ancestors – his father who advised Sir
John Kotelawala and uncle J R Jayawardene – the first Executive President
of Sri Lanka.
Protestors who at their family level invoke their elders – as we
here in Australia do by paying our respects to indigenous elders, they would identify
with the heritage value of our Parliament and feel secure in its folds.
In turn Mr Wickremesinghe has the duty to facilitate the participation of ‘the red rabble’ which is
also a minority power in National Parliament. LTTE heirs have joined this group
and hence the TNA block vote promise to SLPP – confirming LTTE’s share in
Rajapaksa rule. Now it is a new beginning led by Democracy.
Yesterday, it was the Executive Power – confidentially exercised
that restored the damage to the Democratic structure through the forced resignation
of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Those who caused this damage, became enemies
of the democratic Parliament by failing to take action through their elected MPs
on the basis of Article 38 (2)(a) of the Sri Lankan
Constitution. This could be due to lack of opportunities to participate at
policy level.
One way in which the Australian Government facilitates this is
to recognise contributors at individual and/or small group level. I receive such
invitations from time to time. One such invitation arrived on 15 July – the day
I published my feelings about how the Opposition failed in its duty to the
Parliament:
SRI LANKAN OPPOSITION CHEATED https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6863031047273509081/7747419550601414395
Below is an excerpt from Humanitarian
Policy Section of our government:
[Dear Stakeholder
Each year the Australian Government
publishes a discussion paper to inform and seek the views of the Australian
public on the management and composition of the Humanitarian Program
(the Program).
The Department acknowledges the importance
of engaging with the community to ensure continued support for the Program and
appreciates your input. ]
That is the wonderful way in which Belief
works confidentially as Executive power.
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