Democratic Processes Worldwide and Sri Lanka Today

 Ever since he addressed the failed coup of 1962 in a book-length stud,y Donald L. Horowitz has kept an eye on Sri Lankan affairs and has now unveiled a new book tackling central issues in the democratic process on a worldwide scale –with one chapter devoted to the problems TODAY in Sri Lanka ….. Editor, Thuppahi 

Donald L. Horowitz, James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus, Duke University

Here is a brief synopsis of the book by Donald L. Horowitz, entitled Constitutional Processes and Democratic Commitment, 2024

The Sri Lankan chapter is headed “Consensus and Defection: The Case of Sri Lanka.”

 Enhancing prospects for democracy is an important objective in the process of creating a new constitution.  This book argues that constitutional processes ought to be geared to securing commitment to democracy by those who participate in them, so as to minimize chances for reneging later. Using evidence from numerous constitutional processes, the author makes a strong case for a process oriented intended to achieve consensus, not merely compromise, among those who participate in crafting the document.  He also assesses tradeoffs among various process attributes and identifies some that might impede democratic outcomes. The book has a full chapter, based on interviews with leading participants, devoted to the constitution-making process that began after the 2015 election in Sri Lanka.  The chapter identifies a potential consensus on issues of ethnic relations in Sri Lanka that was aborted when members defected as local and national elections approached.

The Sri Lankan chapter is headed “Consensus and Defection: The Case of Sri Lanka.”

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_L._Horowitz

Ashutosh Varshney (2007), “Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict.” In Boix, Carlos; Stokes, Susan C. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press, pp. 274-294. ISBN 978-0199278480.

Arend Lijphart  (10 November 1985). “Ties of blood, rivers of blood” (https://www.ny times.com/1985/11/10/books/ties-of-blood-rivers-of-blood.html). New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2016.

https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9781400854127/coup-theories-and-officers-motives-pdf

K.K.S. Perera  (January 29, 2012). “Two Prime Ministers and the Governor General – did they have a role?”. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 September 2015.

K.K.S. Perera “Luck or Destiny; Sirimavo Escapes: Prime Minister and 1962 Coup d’é Tat”. Daily Mirror. Retrieved 22 November 2021.

K.K.S.Perera,  “Burma and Ceylon in 1962: Why military succeeded there and failed here?”. Daily Mirror. Retrieved 16 February 2021.

P.K. Balachandran,  “Significance of the abortive 1962 military coup”. The Daily News, Retrieved 17 November 2015.

Jayantha Somasundaram 

The Coup d’etat of January 1962 … The Plotters and Its Failure

Michael Roberts 

Reviewing Horowitz’s Analysis of the Aborted Coup D’etat of January 1962