Monday, September 03, 2012

Family democracy, Lanka style

Rajapakse is turning the Lankan constitution into a useless shred of paper

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse brought in a landmark change in the country’s constitution on September 08, 2010 by scrapping the two term limit rule for serving presidents in the midst of both protests and cheering across the country. Consequently, Rajapakse, who is serving his second term as president, can stand for another term in the next voting to be held in 2016!

Apart from this, sweeping powers were handed over to him as a result of this amendment, by which previously autonomous institutes have been brought under his control. He will now directly appoint the main officials in judiciary, election commission, human rights commission and the central bank. Ending all controversies spurred up by the opposition, who stressed for the need of referendum to change the constitution, the Supreme Court ruled that such requirement is unnecessary. This has paved the way to end all possible legal roadblocks to Rajapakse.