Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) writes to the Speaker and All Parliamentarians.
FUTA requests to elect a president who is accountable to the Parliament and acts democratically and also to form an all-party interim government, setting aside all petty differences, until such time elections can be held.
We are at a critical juncture in our history. The country is going through a period of severe economic and political hardship. The people are suffering. But the political leadership of the country has miserably failed to steer the country towards stability and recovery. The ill-thought-out and arbitrary policies of the Rajapakse regime and the corruption and violence that characterized its brand of governance are the main causes of this failure.
This is a historic moment. The parliament is called upon to perform a historic task today. The parliamentarians have to make a sincere and concerted effort to act on behalf of the people and guide the country out of this period of instability and economic hardship. Parliamentarians have to demonstrate statesmanship today and rise above petty differences. This is not the time for political bickering and power brokering. Your failure to act ethically and responsibly will result in a catastrophic outcome from which this country will not recover easily.
We demand that the Parliament when it meets again,
· Elect a president who is accountable to the Parliament and acts democratically; does not abuse the power vested in that office; has no charges of financial abuses and corruption; and does not have any history of human rights violations or has not been recommended for stripping of civic rights.
· Form an all-party interim government, setting aside all petty differences, until such time elections can be held.
· The all-party interim government should act in consultation with other groups, professional and working people’s collectives, during its tenure; so that we can tide over this difficult period together.
The people in their millions have spoken loudly and clearly asking for political accountability, responsible leadership, participatory governance, and economic stability. FUTA joins the people of this country in asking for a change in the culture of governance and asking for the formation of an all-party interim government immediately.
In this decisive moment, the wrong decisions you take, or your silence will push the country further towards instability. In such a situation, it would be inevitable that you will all be held culpable and the anger and frustration of the people which are at breaking point will be directed collectively towards you. Therefore, we urge and demand from you as a national professional body, to uphold the values of parliamentary democracy and your ethical and moral responsibility as representatives of the people to move swiftly to fulfill your national and historic duty by swiftly moving toward an interim all-party government.