Members of the Peradeniya Medical Faculty Teachers Association said yesterday that they are greatly concerned by a yet another attempt to undermine the democratic process. "Successive governments since independence from our colonial rulers have repeatedly denied a truly democratic process to the ordinary citizens of this country. The need for a constitutional reform is a foregone conclusion. A mandate to abolish the Executive Presidency was requested and won by the People’s Alliance in 1994. Despite assurances of support from the opposition they have squandered this opportunity for reform".

The current President and her predecessors have shamelessly enjoyed the powers and benefits of the constitution. An attempt is being made to deceive the people again by asking a simplistic question about constitutional reform through a referendum. Such a referendum held at enormous cost is an expenditure this country can ill — afford at the moment. It is a wasteful exercise — an exercise so patently an attempt to remain in power in the face of a parliamentary crisis. It is also an insult to the intelligence of the people of this country.

The incessant lying by politicians, misuse of power by successive governments, corruption, almost complete breakdown of the law and order situation, mishandling of the economy resulting in continuing increase of the cost of living and last, but not least the chronic inability to resolve the ethnic conflict are taxing the patience of the people. The credibility and effectiveness of the political process, particularly the conduct of elections to elect people’s representatives, judiciary, public service, police is at an all time low and such lack of public faith in governance does not permit the existence of a civilized society.

"We do not believe that the present politicians acting on, their own will be able to restore public faith in these institutions and processes so necessary to the existence of a lawful civil society. It is our considered opinion that a broadly representative caretaker government which will include representations from other organizations representing different opinions needs to be established . Such a caretaker government must urgently strive to restore civic and democratic processes to ensure a truly democratic society. A credible fair election to elect a national parliament will be possible only after such an exercise. A referendum held under the current election machinery will lack any credibility in the eyes of the ordinary citizen and will only provide a pseudomandate to enable those in power to continue to misuse it as they have done before.

"We appeal to all those who cherish democracy and would like to see the existence of a civilized society to protest in the strongest possible manner to prevent the move by the government to hide behind the very constitution which they describe as draconian and nonsensical to remain in power at all costs. We also appeal to those parliamentarians who are more faithful to the process of democracy than to their political parties to take adequate steps to overcome this suspension of parliamentary proceedings and work towards the establishment of a system of good governance which will be acceptable to the people of this country."