JR’s strategy helps Mahinda!

– Uthayan Editorial

(September 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka that won its independence from Britain has had three constitutions.

Subsequent to the Soulbury Constitution, Srimavo Government enacted a new constitution in 1972. Thereafter, J.R.Jayawardena Government enacted the third constitution in 1978. This 1978 constitution framed by JR government is still in force and there is hardly any likelihood of it being replaced or dropped in view of its nature.

Under the earlier constitutions, any government or the people can change a constitution with a two third majority in Parliament for which members were elected on an electoral basis.

But under the new constitution, where there is Executive Presidential government, JR had introduced two new ingredients. One is the election of members to Parliament on a proportional representation scheme. The other is there should be a two third majority in Parliament for any amendments to the constitution.

It is explicit that under the proportional representational scheme no party can obtain a two third majority in Parliament without the support of other parties. So, JR very well knew that the two main political parties cannot change it unless there is a consensus among the both.

The reality is that two major political parties- the UNP and the SLFP- can hardly agree on any common programme. Therefore, constitutional changes can hardly take place.

In brief, the strategy of J.R. helps Preident Rajapakse to continue in power.

(An English translation of the Editorial in Uthayan, a Tamil daily based in Jaffna. )- Sri Lanka Guardian