Friday Nov 08, 2024
FT
Friday Nov 08, 2024
Saturday, 16 July 2022 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
May the strengths of our people be harnessed to drive Sri Lanka forward as a democracy and a country resilient against economic turbulence and civic unrest
Sri Lanka is experiencing one of the darkest periods of her history with the culmination of the sudden resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The events that led to the downfall of President Rajapaksa is already well-known and has no parallel in the annals of Sri Lanka’s post-independence history. This being the first such resignation of a Head of State of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has also experienced chaos, civil disobedience, total breakdown of law and order, civilian unrest and economic hardships in the most devastating levels. The public has lost confidence in the political establishments and the fast deteriorating governance.
It is now the responsibility of both the civilian population and that of the public to ensure a peaceful and a constitutional transition of power. We have done so in Sri Lanka on many such occasions during our past history. In 1951 the sudden demise of our first Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake led to a peaceful succession that took the country forward without disruption to both public life and the democratic rule. In 1959 the assassination of late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike once again led to a smooth succession, though shortly thereafter successive elections took place. The assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993 led to a unanimous election of President D.B. Wijetunga by the Parliament.
This showed and demonstrated the orderly conduct of constitutional provisions within the framework of a mature democracy. People must be complemented for their maturity and their responsibility in adhering to principles of a decent and a civilised society. They are indeed hallmarks of advanced societies and developing nations.
Therefore it is the duty of all Sri Lankans both the clergy and the political leaders, politicians of all levels, the public service and the public at large, to ensure the adherence to the constitutional process that would ultimately decide on the new President of Sri Lanka. How we behave in this period will stand in good stead in our seeking international support and assistance to put this fallen economy back on track and the respect to law and order back on the world stage.
May the strengths of our people be harnessed to drive Sri Lanka forward as a democracy and a country resilient against economic turbulence and civic unrest.
Therefore it is time that we follow a path of unity and respect to one another, thus putting Sri Lanka first.
(The writer is a former Foreign Minister.)
