Saturday, 10 January 2015 03:36
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SOME battles end in great victories, which is the case with President Maithripala Sirisena. Few would have thought a mere 48 hours ago that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was fated to end his ten-year sprint in power quite so abruptly.
Yet, ever the statesman, Rajapaksa left the field with his head held high, vacating the official residence of the president when it was clear his rival had gained an unassailable lead of over 400,000 votes. He held his final meeting at the President’s Office where he made clear that the party leadership would be retained by him, a point that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga might have much to say about.
Be that as it may, the president has assured the new president and his soon-to-be-appointed Cabinet of support in matters of national interest. Rajapaksa displayed the rare trait of magnanimity in defeat, which all leaders aspire to.
As the president that ended the war all Sri Lankans owe him a debt of gratitude. He has rewritten history and as an astute politician will continue to play a significant role on the national stage. His presence would also contribute to keeping the unwieldy coalition on track as it tackles a daunting 100-day program.
Democracy too won the day as Sirisena has already pledged not to contest for a second term. For a country fed up with nepotism, this is indeed a refreshing moment. .
In November Rajapaksa called for elections two years before his second term ended following reduced returns in provincial elections. Had he won he would have bagged an unprecedented third term in power. Yet his gigantic presidential battle was stymied by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who gathered a broad coalition together, which included the main Opposition United National Party (UNP).
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also took oaths as the new Prime Minister. A Cabinet is also expected to be appointed on Saturday morning and will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge for the new President.
Sirisena’s coalition government aims to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament and trim executive powers instating a Westminster-style Parliament with a Prime Minister as its head.
But he faces a significant challenge in keeping his unwieldy coalition of nationalist and minority parties on the same trajectory as he battles with the deadline of 100 days to change president powers and call for a parliamentary election at the end of April.
He also has to restore the independence of the Judiciary and devolve power to the northern part of the country in accordance with the demands of the Tamil minority.
The new president will also have to deal with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which has initiated an investigation into alleged human rights violations during the last phase of Sri Lanka’s war with the report to be presented at its sessions in March.
So far the Sri Lankan Government under Rajapaksa had declined to cooperate with the investigation criticising it as “deeply flawed.” However, the manifesto of Sirisena has pledged a local tribunal mechanism much like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But implementing a credible system and managing power devolution will prove to be extremely difficult, especially given the nature of the coalition. On the international front first impressions are positive. The US is looking forward to working with Sri Lankan President-elect Maithripala Sirisena, Secretary of State John Kerry has said, as he commended outgoing President Mahinda Rajapaksa for accepting the election results. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also conveyed his regards and Sirisena has said he plans to cooperate with all nations and organisations. All said and done a new era has begun.
