The Promises of Fonny: Ain't this all Funny and Phoney ?
by Kusal Perera
"Once normal civil administration is established, committees will be set up in each district. These committees will comprise representatives, including a nominee of the President, Divisional Secretaries, other officials, MPs and/or their representatives, representatives of local authorities, judicial officers, commanders of security forces, and police and civic representatives.
They will send monthly reports to the President, the Cabinet and the Parliament, while a dedicated Secretariat will be established under the President to monitor progress and ensure implementation".
(www.transcurrents.com - Promises Galore by Gen. Fonseka wooing Tamil voters in Jaffna / January 03)
This in itself is a phoney promise, even if “transcurrents” had or had not on their own included the qualifying phrase, “Once normal civil administration is established....” which I doubt very much they would do by themselves.
here are two questions that immediately come to mind.
(1) How will “normal civil administration” be established in the North ?
(2) How long will it take ?
There are also more politically compounding issues entrenched, that leaves extremely heavy baggage of utterly devastating contradictions, too conspicuous.
Will all these abundantly given promises be implemented, before the Executive Presidency is abolished, or after ? Abolishing of the executive presidency in every way is the core promise that brings together this untidy opposition political alliance around retired General Fonseka, as their “Common Candidate”.
Therefore, if it is before the executive presidency is abolished, then, can this new president (if elected) honestly establish “normal civil administration” within the next 03 months the most, before the next parliamentary elections, due in April ?
If its after the parliamentary elections, then does it mean, the promises given by the presidential candidate will be honoured by the next parliamentary government the Common Candidate is promising to establish with the abolition of the executive presidency ?
And then, how long will it take to abolish the executive presidency itself ?
This needs a new Constitution or an amendment to the present Constitution. Either way, wouldn't that process take time ?
Either way, it also needs a two thirds majority in parliament and the president elect on his own can not abolish or amend the executive presidency. That process of “change” is NOT spelled out as yet in any tangible manner and thus is a mystery to date.
NOW the biggest contradictions of all time.
1. This Common Candidate who is promising the abolition of the executive presidency, will have his nominee in the “Committee” he is proposing and that “Committee” will keep reporting to this president. Why have nominees from an executive presidency that will be abolished and why report to him at all ? Isn't reporting to the parliament enough ?
2. If the promise is to establish “normal civil administration” why the heck do you want 03 nominees from the “commanders of the security forces” ? What has security forces got to do with “normal civil administration” ?
3. Now, under whom will this “dedicated secretariat” that presumably oversee the work of the “Committees” and to whom will it be responsible to ? Is it to the abolished executive presidency ?
Although the promise is made in Jaffna as the Common Candidate, while promising many more to the Tamil people the army battered and bombed and kept the peninsula occupied under this same human being while he was dressed in uniform, the next catch in the promise is that he is proposing these “Committees” to all the districts.
Therefore, there is a danger in having such “Committees” in whole of Sri Lanka, with Commanders of the Security Forces having their nominees getting involved in the day to day life of the civil people. In a way, this is militarising the whole civil administration.
Let's not forget the (executive part abolished or not) President would be the overall Commander of all security forces and would still have his “orders” carried out through all these “Committees” with his security forces nominees in them.
Worst is, he is still projected by his campaigning parties as the patriotic Army Commander who won the bloody brutal war despite having strong accusations of war crimes committed.
Ain't these promises all, therefore funny and phoney ? Also, rather scary too ?
11 Comments
What don't you tell this to Comrade Kumar David? Not long ago he claimed that he will puke before he voted for Fonseka. Even before that he said anyone who settles the IDPs should be voted in. Most recently he said that the TNA should accept Sarath Fonseka instead of doing Ponnambalam politics.
The left writers are tunnel-visioned idiots. The right-wing opposition just wants to come to power by hook or crook, irrespective of the minorities who will suffer most if the political stability of the country were compromised.
The minorities want no further political turmoil - they want to build their destroyed homes, pick up their lives, and go forward, irrespective of who the politician is. Although MRajapaksa is a hobson's choice, he gives us a better chance than SarathF, and this author has understood the absurdities in SF's program. The minorities have to succeed by capturing economic power and NOT political power.
Don't worry Kusal.
Jaffna civilians did not listen to the el Supremo despite all his attempts to get them under his rule.It says something about the intelligence and the character of most Jaffnasiders.
The Phoney might appear in photo sessions with the Shortie looking like chettiyars. The Jaffnasiders who have just won their freedom after 30 years of isolation and deprivation are not going to be swayed by this bullshit.
By the way I did not see Ranil in the photo session.Probably he knows the Jaffnasiders too well to make himself available to appear a fool in front of them.
Why not put the same questions to Rajapakse and what has been doing all this time? This is like frightening the children saying "Gonibilla is coming, go to sleep, Mahinda Aiyya will look after you".
Kusal perera seems to be very much worried about what how would the promisses be kept as the oppostion candidate reiterate.for example setting up comeeties etc etc.The first amd foremost question is abolish the executive presidency and there is a long way to go since the whole constitution is a jumble.we can show thousands and one exaple to prove it.I thinks it is too early discuss about what will be happening in the future after abolishing excecutive presidentcy
This is a non-starter. All hot air by SF group to hodwink the masses done with foreign money and advise. Hope people do not become gulible and put the clock back by 20 years!
This regime is a military regime as far as tamils are concerned.All tamils live in fear and uncertainity.What Fonseka proposes cannot be any worse.
A start has to be made somewhere.
He promises to appoint the Constitutional Council,implement even a modified 13th Amendment,abolish the PTA & Emergency and abolish corruption - all of which Rajapakse has been unable to achieve for past four years.
Does the writer wish this same regime to continue?
Kusal Perera succinctly explains the contradictory and absurd promises of Fonseka, which are next to impossible to implement ,if he wishes to operate in a democratic framework, as stipulated by the current constitution.
These promises and statements he make, indicate that his grasp of the Constitution and the operation of the Parliamentary system is close to zero.
Commentators like the "Srilankan" and the other Srilankan Jayathillaka should understand the contents before making irrelevant and silly comments.
Unfortunately for the ordinary voter in Lanka his choice of candidate for the post of President is a choice between a shabby deal and a phoney promise.There is no limit to just how much shabby a shabby deal can be or phoney a phoney promise will be. What is important is to ensure the delivery of the desired results.It is not a matter of the politics of governance that the people of the country should be concerned with at this juncture.But of joining hands and offering the politics of resistance and opposition and of forcing accountability from those who have exercised power in their name and those who hope in the future to exercise that power on the basis of their promises.Because in the final analysis it is when power is exercised in the name of an ostensibly free people for their welfare by their elected representative that it becomes fortified by what it creates rather than what it destroys.
Remember Folks: Tamils are only allowed to be DUPED and CAJOLED by their own kind... if an outsider, especially a Sinhalese person tries it, then it is GENOCIDE!
But hey Tamils, VOTE for FONSEKA!
I'm sure he will deliver you Eelam or Federalism, or whatever he promises you! Just like your TAMIL NADU and TNA Politicians have been promising you for the past 3 Decades!
Tamils are being taken for a ride by Mr.Fonseka. He is just having an ego trip. He will never be the President. If he had one percent chance at the nomination day, he has no chance what so ever after that white flag talk with Fedrica of ‘The Leader’. Sinhalese that live in the country have already fall in line with the President. Even if he becomes the President, he is powerless without the backing of majority MPs in Parliament. Fonseka as President can do nothing for he has no party or a single seat in Parliament. He has to rely on RanilW to deliver what he promises. But RanilW has his own plans if he could muster the majority in Parliament.
RanilW thinks Fonee will be a puppet and he will be the puppeteer. How stupid RanilW is; when he could not control that taxi driver mayor how could he control a hardnosed General as President. Neither Hakeem nor Mano Ganeshan has a brain. If you Tamils have an iota of a brain you must think: If you want a military dictatorship, vote for Fonseka. If you want democracy, vote for president Rajapakse. Presidential election logic is as simple as that.
If there is a will there is a way. The writer need
not stress himself of how things can be done or not
done. Promises are necessary - and MR made as much.
He did not foresee the luck of defeating the LTTE
and the 2yr reduction in incumbency was an after
thought?. Fonseka coming into the fray was not
envisaged - a one horse race was on the Card.
The Tamils will keep fighting for what is due is
guaranteed, whoever comes. The question is: Is
a regime-change the call of the day?