Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Friday, 3 May 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In the midst of the sad situation our country is presently facing we saw the positive news of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) deciding to appoint Kumar Sangakkara as their president for one year from October.
According to reports this is the first time in the history of MCC that a person outside the UK has been given this position.
We have all heard of great cricketers from Australia, UK, India and Pakistan performing excellently well during their test careers. None of them have had the honour that has been bestowed on Kumar Sangakkara.
On the other hand even after 70 years since independence our political leaders have failed to find solutions to most of the social problems faced by the people
May I therefore, suggest that we consider making a drastic change in our political set up for a fixed period of 10 years where the Parliament will be suspended and Kumar Sangakkara be appointed as the executive president and a strong team of academics and intellectuals specialised in various fields be appointed to form the cabinet.
On 15 March 2005, when our country was faced with enormous problems I wrote to ‘Sunday Island’ the following which I quote in full.
Tell Lee or Mandela to run our country
By Frankin R. Satyapalan
Sri Lanka has been let down by most of the political leaders who governed the country since independence said Hatton National Bank Chairman Rienzie T. Wijetilleke yesterday.
Very few leaders have shown statesmanship and we are now in this plight due to divisions among political parties who are constantly bickering, Wijetilleke told the Sunday Island.
Present political leaders on both sides have shown that they are not capable of managing the country, reducing corruption and mismanagement and making the best use of available resources, he continued.
“This is why I proposed that this country should be handed over to some person or group who can manage it under a management contract of five to 10 years. It can be done whilst maintaining the sovereignty of the country.”
Left to him, he would recommend world leaders like Nelson Mandela or Lee Kuan Yew as people who could competently carry out this assignment, he added.
Without hesitation I want to repeat the same proposal once again for the sake of our country’s future.
