Saying no to 225 is a famous slogan these days. At the same time, Peratugami front says “power should be out of the parliament”. They also say that the people should rule the country instead of the politicians.
I have many friends on the Peratugami front. They are honest, dedicated, and good people. But not all these 225, saying that the people should rule the country is not only an impractical thing that can never be done but also a dangerous idea that can end in a very destructive end.
There is a great description of this in political science. But they are not necessary. It is very simple to say that the people cannot rule the country. First of all, it’s not something that can be done anyway. It is not possible to bring 20 million people together and discuss and make decisions. Instead, even if a Soviet-style council like the people’s councils were divided into geographically small parts and decided things affecting that area, if you want to make a decision on national level issues beyond that, you have to select and send a representative from there. This is the first reason why representation is needed. 225 is one such representation.
That representative can be appointed in one way or another. In a monarchy system, it is from father to son. In a military government, the positions are divided. In another monopolistic party system, names are selected from the top. But according to the modern democratic model developed in England after the seventeenth century, representatives should be elected by the will of the people. That’s what voting is for. There are many drawbacks to this system. But as Churchill said, this is the best system in history. Churchill said this in a different way. (“Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”).
Those who were appointed in that way are now in the parliament. We all know that many of them are bad and corrupt. It is possible to analyze a lot about why this has happened. It has structural problems in Sri Lanka’s constitution as well as problems in what we identify as “political culture”. But we all have to accept that governance cannot be done practically except through the representatives who are appointed in some way.
But representative democracy should be implemented instead of direct democracy not only because direct democracy is practically impossible. Actually, we say that those people are intelligent, but they are not so. Socrates was executed by the people through direct democracy. That is why that democracy was bitter for his student Plato. In a direct democracy, people are mesmerized by the impassioned speeches of champion orators. People are oversensitive and impulsive and make stupid decisions quickly. What is done in a representative democracy is to set up a system that reduces this quality of the people in direct democracy. There is a separate team with professional experience to make decisions according to a method. They are called Politicians. Due to the experiences of the world so far, the parliamentary process has been prepared with a decision-making model in such a way that such prejudices and weaknesses are reduced as much as possible. As said before, it has its own problems. But it is the best decision-making model available.
Therefore, no matter how much we argue, it is best for a country to be governed by a parliament. It doesn’t mean that you don’t want all 225, but you need a good 225. A government without 225 is either a dictatorship, a single party or a military regime. For the anger, although people think that even one such system would be better than this 225, we think that because we have never been under such governance. The day such a thing comes, we will remember what Churchill said.
So, its about Representative Democracy against Direct Democracy.
Otherwise what happen to Socrates will take precedence.
225 must go. They have failed us, plundered the nation, pauperized a blessed nation. We need a people friendly constitution, a meaningful electoral system. We need a system where transparency, accountability, Meritocracy will have a place. When we demand 225 go, it doesn’t mean close the parliament.
world’s biggest cabinet doing nothing other than robbing from the poor citizen.
The economic, political, and social crisis we have is due the constitution and the electoral system we have. We must do away with the Presidential system and make the parliament supreme. Out electoral system is maddening, perhaps good for politicians. We have a Presidents now, who lost his own electorate, entered the Parliament through the back door, came to the front door and now occupying the seat of the President who got the highest number of votes. What a comedy, what a tragedy. We want a people friendly constitution, where Transparency, Accountability and Meritocracy will prevail. Let us stop talking and star working.
We have tried present parliamentary system for 74 yrs miserably failed, Only corrupt rich can contest elections with false promises, its an exclusive club for corrupt rich class, even party registration denied for non politicians ordinary man has to wait 4 yrs to get his party registered that is at discretion of election commissioner he can deny for no reason one example attorney Naganandas vinivida peramuna who is a voceferous public litigant. Better lets give people council outside parliament to put hold corrupt projects shady deals on hold until approved by them.
Whatever you said in your article, basically the current system were established on unethical grounds. That were undeniable facts.
Those who speaks truth were sent to prison. Those who killed people sent to prison and the countries president pardoned them in the parliament. So many killers were honoured in the parliament and given top executive posts.
Abuse of power nepotism, corruption and above all financial mismanagement brought to bankruptcy.
No medicine, no educational materials for kids.
What’s the HELL with you calling Churchill to witness your senseless argument.
Do you know 45 years ago how peaceful Ceylon.
Please do not try to hide yourself behind one finger.
I have a proposal with a maximum of 160 electorates and 160 members with no political parties like the days of the donoughmore constitution. If anybody send your email address i will send the full proposal. My email [email protected]
Market your proposals via all media. Let’s see how we could have a meaningful, purposeful, workable constitution.
There is nothing wrong in the parliamentary system. The problem is the people select the corrupt politicians to power knowing very well that they are corrupt. That’s the mentality of the Sri Lankans. The voters virtually become idiots at the time of elections. In Sri Lanka one can fool all the people all the time.
We dont need 225 we need an honest 125. Representatives who understand accountability who know what it is to feel shame and who understand leadership and patriotism.
We need to stop all election campaigns. That is where the rot begins.
Our country was brought to the knees by the Political System. Executive Presidential System ( highly power concentrated) God Father JR was highly abused by Rajapaksa, Goth, Sirisena and now Ranil. We all know how the nation busting took place during their reign. The Electoral System is a mockery, even brain dead wouldn’t accept it. Show me in any part of the world, where a candidate lose and deemed a winner and reaches the highest post in the country, exercises the power of a man who obtained 68 Lacs of vote.
Provincial Council was imposed on us by India. Who they are, where they meet, what they do nobody knows.
Let’s remember every election costs us Rs.10 billion. Once in 5 years we have to spend Rs.40 billion, at a time we cannot have our daily Rotti and Pol Sambal.
It is time all those interested to team up to save the nation.
My Email
[email protected]
All we need is a few honest leaders at the top – tough on corruption with severe penalties and a strict eye on the various departments entrusted to do a job. I would stress on severe penalties and watch dogs. When the standard is set at the top you will find every one who only works for tips falling in line.