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President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first campaign manager in 2005 was breathing fire against nine years of his rule yesterday, promising major constitutional reform and insisting that the January 2015 election will really be a contest between democracy and dictatorship.
UNP Communications Director and Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera issued a strong critique of the ruling Rajapaksa administration during a press briefing yesterday, saying the Government was abusing power to thwart the electoral process. (DB)
“Orders have gone out from the Law and Order Ministry Secretary that massive cut outs of President Rajapaksa, due to be unveiled shortly and produced at the cost of millions of rupees, are to be given 24-hour security,” Samaraweera charged at Sirikotha yesterday.
The MP said the main opposition party had made a sacrificial decision to back a common candidate to create what he called a “constitutional revolution” 100 days after the new President takes office.
In an attempt to clear the confusion created about the transfer of power and modalities of constitutional reform, Samaraweera explained that if victorious, the new administration would first have to be set up under the terms of the current Constitution.
“As a stakeholder in the victory of Maithripala Sirisena he will of course be appointed the Prime Minister in a national Government,” Samaraweera said. He stressed that would be under the present system, in which the executive president picks his Cabinet of Ministers, including the Prime Minister.
However, once the Constitution is changed by amendment in Parliament, parties will have to contest separately or in alliance to win a majority of seats.
“Whichever leader is victorious in that parliamentary election after the Constitution is changed will become the Prime Minister. We believe that once Maithripala Sirisena is elected, that it is the UNP that will win a majority and therefore Ranil Wickremesinghe will become Prime Minister. But in a democratic system, of course that is not a certainty, it could be another party also, in which case we will have to accept that,” the UNP MP explained at length.
There is no such thing as an ‘executive prime minister’ in a parliamentary system.
“In the Westminster system, the Prime Minister is merely the first among equals. He is not an executive Prime Minister,” he said.
Samaraweera said the UNP leader believed that the country should continue with a unity Government even after the parliamentary elections are held under the new constitution, in order to bring the ‘constitutional revolution’ to fruition.
“Enough of this petty bickering. To lift the country out of the depths it is in, we will have to work together,” Samaraweera said, striking an idealistic note.
A bristling Samaraweera charged that the private mobile network that allegedly blocked a political talk show featuring Sirisena last week was also planning to block text messaging for one week ahead of the poll, citing a technical glitch at the behest of the ruling regime.
The network has apologised for the disruption and promised to investigate the matter.
“Mahinda Rajapaksa goes into this election as the Chair of the Commonwealth of Nations. Fifty-three countries look to him to conduct an exemplary election. The world will be watching this poll,” he warned.
The once deserted UNP headquarters at Sirikotha in Pitakotte was teeming with life yesterday, as top Opposition figures attended discussions and brainstormed about strategy and policy. Common Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena was seen walking out of the Sirikotha officers last morning. JHU MP Athuraliye Rathana Thero was also at the premises, in discussions with UNP officials.
