Ironically, the LSSP that stood in complete opposition to this move and through its Political Bureau instructed its parliamentary representatives not to vote for this Amendment in Parliament, found that its representatives along with those of the other Left parties voted instead for this Amendment, leading to a crisis within the Party and the Left in general.
by Vijaya Vidyasagara
(October 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Conference of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) to be held at the end of this month prompts me to make a few basic comments on the role of the Left in our political life today.
From my early years in the Left movement from 1948 as a youth in school and University campus, the politics of the LSSP centred around the class struggle of the working people which gave it a distinct identity in the country and a vitality which surpassed those of other political parties.
While it is true that the party had to work with other parties in coalition and even enter Government, this never degenerated into what might be described as ‘Popular Front’ politics, for the Party always maintained its separate political programme and was not timid in espousing the cause of the oppressed, even when it came into conflict with the views of its political allies. Unfortunately, this courageous role is not evident today in party activity in the country.
It is not that the party had changed its basic positions. To take just two examples to illustrate what I have to say that is especially relevant in the present context.
1. The Executive Presidency
The first relates to the issue of the Executive Presidential system. The firm commitment of the LSSP to the abolition of the Executive Presidential system of Government introduced by President J R Jayewardene through his Constitution of 1978 which replaced the earlier Republican Parliamentary Constitution of 1972 has remained unchanged to date.
While President Mahinda Rajapakse and his SLFP had at the outset similarly expressed opposition to this system of Presidential rule, he has taken no steps whatever towards its abolition. He has instead contented himself in continuing this Presidential system that has been so well exposed by Dr. N. M. Perera in his "Critical Analysis" of that Constitution published in June 1974 shortly before his death on August 14 the same year. Not only has President Rajapakse continued this pernicious system but has now even sought to perpetuate it by extending his current term of presidential office through an 18th Amendment of 2010.
Ironically, the LSSP that stood in complete opposition to this move and through its Political Bureau instructed its parliamentary representatives not to vote for this Amendment in Parliament, found that its representatives along with those of the other Left parties voted instead for this Amendment, leading to a crisis within the Party and the Left in general.
2. The National Question
Secondly, even the efforts to resolve the national question to which the LSSP and Left was pledged have not been successful despite efforts made in the All Party Representative Conference (APRC) and a report being handed over by its LSSP Chairman to President Rajapakse. An earlier effort to resolve the national question through a new Constitution presented by President Chandrika Kumaratunga unfortunately collapsed due to President Kumaratunga seeking to extend the term of her own presidency in that Constitution for a further six years.
One would have thought however that the terms worked out in the aborted 2000 constitution on the national question could well have been taken forward even after the victory over the LTTE in war, instead of being jettisoned; for most of the matters agreed on at the APRC were incorporated in the provisions in that constitutional draft and could have been improved on where necessary. Even the 13th Amendment has not been implemented.
These were opportunities that could well have been utilised to at least assert the presence of the Left within the Government and the country. As it is, the image of the Left today is that of a voiceless and non-existent entity. There should rather have been regular pronouncements by the Party on at least major issues facing the people. It would appear that the Left has been smothered in the ranks of the UPFA by the dominant SLFP whose leadership has been influenced by racist inclined elements and the Left has become virtual prisoners, so as to render them ineffective as a political force.
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