Following the Supreme Court ruling, the presidential election in Sri Lanka is expected to take place within a few days. In a call for this date, the organisation that brings together Christian communities reiterates its call to future candidates to put an end to the excessive powers assigned to the president and to address the wounds that are still open 15 years after the end of the civil war.
Colombo (Asia News) – The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) has welcomed the recent decision of the Supreme Court The statement reiterates the need to hold presidential elections before the end of the year, in accordance with the Constitution. At the same time – just as the country’s electoral commission has declared that it will announce the schedule for the presidential elections in the next two weeks – it calls on all Sri Lankan voters to exercise the power inherent in their vote with “diligence and responsibility”.
The NCCSL urges voters to reject candidates “accused of corruption, racism and heinous crimes,” and reminds voters that “the root causes of the current economic crisis are essentially political.” “The economic mismanagement that has plagued the country in recent years,” the note explains, “corrosive corruption and spending on window-dressing projects lacking any economic justification have been made possible because checks on those who wield political power have been inadequate, oversight of the executive has been ineffective, and legislators have been co-opted, leading to the failure of effective accountability mechanisms.”
The National Christian Council reiterates its call to abolish the concentration of enormous powers in the hands of the president, regardless of the person and political party he represents. “The presidential system nullifies other democratic institutions. Let us recall that in the past, most presidential candidates promised to abolish the executive presidency during their election campaign, but conveniently ignored this promise once elected to office.” Hence the demand that all future candidates “commit to supporting the abolition of presidentialism within a given time frame and implement it without any deception.”
The NCCSL also cites the legitimate grievances of the Tamil community in the North and East that have led to war and massive polarization between the country’s ethnic groups, and says it believes that ethnic conflict can only be resolved through a political solution that addresses its root causes, including the discrimination suffered.
She says it is also important to address the genuine aspirations of the Malayaha Makkal in the plantation areas, communities that have been deprived of dignity and other human rights for decades. Violations that continue 15 years after the end of the war through the occupation of land by the military and various government agencies, restrictions and intimidation on remembering those who died in the conflict, and the repression of dissent.
Finally, the National Christian Council describes voting as a political-spiritual act, an opportunity for voters to express their compassion and solidarity with all marginalized and vulnerable groups, in order to guarantee a better country for all and ensure the prosperity and well-being of their homeland.
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