With thanks to my Aloysian compatriot KK De Silva
- Gotabaya Rajapaksa should resign from the post of Executive President forthwith.
- Government including Ranil Wickremasinghe, Rajapaksa regime should resign forthwith. ( This includes all Cabinet, Non cabinet, Deputy, Project Ministers, Ministry Secretaries, Directors, Advisors, State & Corporation Chairmen, Ambassadors).
- With the removal of the Gota-Ranil government, an interim administration should be set up which accords with the economic, social & political objectives & aspirations of the Peoples Struggle (Aragalaya). A Peoples Council in which there is legal binding for representatives of the Peoples Struggle to intervene/create an impact, should be established.
3.1 prepare a short term emergency relief plan to alleviate the suffering of the people due to the economic crisis
3.2 prepare a plan to provide essential goods such as food, fuel, gas etc. educational facilities, health facilities, public transport & energy needs. Micro finance, loans to farmers be written off..
3.3 Leasing & small scale business loans be written off or a relief scheme be implemented.
3.4 Release peaceful protesters in custody including political prisoners & prepare a scheme to mete out justice to to those who have been politically victimised.
3.5 prepare a scheme to mete out justice to all victims affected as a result of assassinations & disappearances.
3.6 Vest in the state all cash & property robbed by the regime after proper investigation/audit & punish those responsible
3.7 Wealth illegally earned by politicians (Recover ?)
3.8 Wealth illegally earned by companies & individuals with political patronage & taxes evaded by companies earning huge profits (Recover ?)
3.9 Completely overhaul the present tax system (85:15) to minimise the indirect tax percentage & increase the direct tax percentage with the objective of revising the tax policy to recover higher taxes from companies & businessmen who make huge profits, under a progressive tax scheme.
4. After the removal of Gotabaya from power, & pending the enactment of a new Constitution , which ensures the sovereignty of the people:
4.1 reduce the executive powers
4.2 make the law equally applicable to all
4.3 implement democratic reforms that can be undertaken under the present constitution to strengthen democratic structures , immediately.
5. A new Constitution, which guarantees peoples sovereignty should be enacted after a referendum as soon as possible.
5.1 Right to Life should be recognised as a fundamental right. Abolish the Executive Presidential System.
5.2. Establish a mechanism to hold free & fair elections. It should include a provision which allows the right to recall peoples representatives who are not responsible to the people.
5.3 Establish a mechanism for peoples participation in formulating /amending laws
5.4 Include provisions which exceed the present limitations to strengthen human rights, women’s rights & children’s rights
5.5 Provide for Peoples right to education & health
5.6 Take legal action against those responsible for destroying the environment under the guise of development & make it compulsory for a scientific mechanism to be followed in making decisions regarding the environment
5.7 Abolish completely racism, national oppression & ensure equality of status, ensure religious, language, gender & other cultural identities of every section of the community, ensure political & democratic freedoms & strengthen relevant fundamental rights foundations
5.8 Provide for the right to call for a referendum at the request of a specific percentage of the people
6. The fundamental objective of the interim administration is the implementation of the above proposals , & the interim administrative structure so established should end within a maximum period of 12 months with the enactment of a new Constitution.
Accordingly, the provisions of Sections 3 & 4 should be considered as immediate requirements & be achieved within a maximum period of 6 months.
Further the provisions of Section 5 should be achieved within a maximum period of 12 months.
The Peoples Struggle will continue under a new format until all of the above are accomplished.
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A NOTE : The photo below shows a march on 18th April 2022 which foreshadows the populist pressures that are reaching culmination today in July 2022 …. https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/sri-lanka-leader-trims-cabinet-of-relatives-ahead-of-imf-talks?gallery_image=undefined#big
Though agreeing wholeheartedly with the general principles’ outlined here, it is unrealistic to think that all these can be achieved so speedily, especially in the economically, environmentally and politically chaotic situation both here and in the rest of the world.
Unfortunately these post mortem remarks and demands should have been the aims and predictions of the Aragalaya. Aragalaya was fought with the sole aim of ending Rajapakse dynasty. None has thought what next. The article ends with”The Peoples Struggle will continue under a new format until all of the above are accomplished.” Afterthought (in the absence of forethought) made it necessary for the second Aragalaya. That is the Sri Lankan style. We always do post planning but never the preplanning.
Chandra ,with respect I give you 100/100 for astuteness and 0/100 for being positive. Does it matter that this idea was not expressed before? In fact, just imagine the fate of the person who dared advertise these proposal and it came to the attention of the dictators? In the UK that person would be killed. I am not sure about the fate in Sri Lanka