Sour grapes after 19A dampens thirst for power

It was quite evident from President Maithripala Sririsena’s speech, at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the National Housing Authority on June 23, that he must be suffering from a severe bout of ‘sour grapes’ or even amnesia. After having vigorously campaigned for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and convincing the members of his party – the UPFA/ SLFP -- to vote in its favour, which they did, he now appears to despise and detest it calling for its abolition saying it was responsible for the problems faced by the country.another politician who spoke highly of 19A was G.L. Peiris, now an ardent supporter and ‘mouthpiece’ of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.the other day Mr. Rajapaksa praised the President for ‘having at least now realized that 19A was the cause of the ‘mess the country is in’. He has, not surprisingly, rejected the President’s allegation that the 18th Amendment would have paved the way to a dictatorship. Mr. Rajapaksa of course does not applaud the President for having at least now realized the dangers that 18A portended for the country but points out that SLFP’S then general secretary and health minister Maithripala Sirisena had also voted for it and as such was one of those who promoted the ‘dictatorial’ 18A, which was abolished, not without difficulty. The President has also forgotten that in the days since the passage of the 19A, he had portrayed himself as a ‘servant leader’, who unlike any other world leader had voluntarily given up his powers. He has also forgotten that one of his election pledges was to abolish the presidency but unfortunately it had to be pruned down in the wake of some of the clauses needing a referendum and a two-thirds majority in Parliament. There is no doubt that the President came to hate the 19th amendment after the ‘greed for power’ invaded his psyche and when the 19A was instrumental in thwarting his attempt to extend his term of office from five years to six as previously.this was followed by the October 26 conspiracy , which he hatched with Mahinda Rajapaksa, came a cropper and the Supreme Court ruled that the premature dissolution of Parliament was a blatant violation of the Constitution.the President must also be hating the 19A when the Constitutional Council refused to approve the names he submitted for appointment to high office and most recently when he found he had no say over parliament especially with regard to the PSC, which is turning out to be a festering thorn in his flesh.

Russell CC , Nugegoda

He has also forgotten that one of his election pledges was to abolish the presidency but unfortunately it had to be pruned down in the wake of some of the clauses needing a referendum