Politicians plunging country from one crisis to another - EDITORIAL

Just two years after the ‘Aragalaya’ and the country is beginning to emerge from its state of bankruptcy, a new crisis seems to be in the making. 

Today 26 July the office of the Commissioner of Elections announced the date for the presidential poll. Days prior to the announcement of the date for the holding of presidential polls, the Supreme Court issued a stay order barring the citizen Deshabandu Tennekoom from functioning as Inspector General of Police (IGP).

In parliament the Prime Minister contested the Supreme Court’s ruling, calling it illegal, declaring the restraining order issued by the court preventing IGP Deshabandu from functioning in his post as illegal. Opposition MPs argued that an acting IGP should be appointed while ruling party MPs argued that a new appointment could not be made as the post of IGP was not vacant.

The PM in his speech, reminded the House of rulings of past Speakers when similar situations arose in the past. He made special mention of Speaker Anura Bandaranaike at that time, and called on the present Speaker to uphold the authority of the House.

Daily Mirror journalist Ajith Siriwardene covering the ongoing controversy reports the Speaker and Chairman of the Constitutional Council (CC) said the removal of an IGP requires a special procedure and could not be resolved by the president.

He added the matter had to be sorted out in Court. He also refuted claims that a wrong decision had been taken by the Speaker in the appointment of the IGP as per Constitutional provisions.

Meanwhile leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, called on the president to resign if he cannot appoint an Acting IGP.  Premadasa called on the president to let an Acting president make the appointment. He charged the president with resorting to unconstitutional acts.

In the event of the  president resigning, the Prime  Minister becomes the Acting Presdent and the premier has  already  made his stand on the  matter very clear –he has contested the ruling of court. And thereby hangs a problem. It never rains but pours. In Lanka’s context crises and constitutional crises seem to grow by the year. In 2019 then President Sirisena attempted a constitutional coup when he attempted to dismiss the then-government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Supreme Court ruled Sirisena was acting ultra vires of the constitution. Wickremesinghe was reinstated and president Sirisena was forced to eat humble pie. To his credit Sirisena accepted the ruling of court.     

The political upheavals in Lanka bring to mind the wise soothsayer’s words to  Julius Caesar warning him to ‘beware the Ides of March’. In Lanka the ‘Ides of March’ appear to fall in July. 

Many major crises seem to blow up in our faces in July. For instance ‘Black July which preceded the near three-decade-long ethnic war, commenced with the killing of 13 soldiers in July 1983 by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the then governments attack on civilian Tamils.  

The war  ended in May 2009. Just two years ago, the country faced the ‘Argalaya’ again in the month of July. The movement began in the face of chronic shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas, medicines, all other basics and rolling power cuts in the country. Initially we saw unorganised silent candlelight protests organised by ordinary citizens springing up countrywide. In July the movement was hijacked   by extremists with an eye on creating mayhem  and seizing  political power.

A situation of mayhem descended as extremists indulged in arson, assault of various persons and led to the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers and the then president fleeing the country.

Ranil Wickremesinghe who constitutionally replaced the then president was able to bring the country to a semblance of normalcy. He was also able to successfully untangle the bankruptcy of the country with help from India, which extended us a huge line of credit and the IMF whose intervention helped bring back the country’s credit-worthiness.

Today we are by no means out of the woods and the current clash between the legislature and the Judiciary if not handled correctly could rouse passions and lead to another situation of instability.

The last thing we need is another aragalaya-like situation. We should all beware of forces which will surely look to fish in troubled waters.