MUST WORK TOGETHER: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, former Preident Chandrika Kumaratunga, and President Maithripala Sirisena. (Picture Sudath Silva for lankareporter.com)
Bob Rae a former Canadian politician who was an adviser in the Sri Lanka peace process says much can been achieved to alleviate the challenges facing the country without formal changes to the constitution, stressing that progress will hinge on the working relationship of the coalition.
Bob Rae was an advisor on the Sri Lanka peace process. Picture Twitter
Decades-long political foes former President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and former leader of opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe’s United National Party (UNP) were among a number of parties which backed Maithripala Sirisena’s successful run against former President Mahinda Rajapakse in last week’s bitterly fought election.
Yesterday, the coalition formed a national government and cabinet with Ranil Wickremasinghe as prime minister.
“I think the ability of both SLFP and UNP to moblise their supporters against the consolidation of power in the Rajapaksa family and their partisans made a difference,” Rae told lankareporter.com.
“Much can be done without formal change, it’s a matter of the new President and Prime Minister working together in a constructive way and trying to deal with the country’s many challenges.”
“There was a growing concern about both corruption and the abuse of power. With the additional support of both TNA and Muslim parties there was clearly a growing coalition in support of change.”
Rae who visited the island on numerous occasions had a deep understanding of Sri Lanka’s political culture and says any talk of constitutional change had fueled contention in the past.
“Constitutional change is always difficult and controversial, and we know this has long been true in Sri Lanka. Much can be done without formal change, it’s a matter of the new President and Prime Minister working together in a constructive way and trying to deal with the country’s many challenges,” he said.
