• Charitha Herath queries moral, political judgments on defeated camp

Former Parliamentarian Prof Charitha Herath has questioned whether President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s message congratulating Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his Election victory appropriately reflects the diplomatic neutrality expected of a Head of State. 

While acknowledging the gesture, Herath said that President Dissanayake was entitled to his ideological preferences and political judgments as an individual and political leader. However, he said that statements made in the capacity of the President carry a broader institutional responsibility.

On the President’s message, Herath said on social media that while congratulating da Silva was entirely appropriate, extending the message to include moral and political judgements about the defeated political camp raised questions about the diplomatic responsibilities of a national leader. 

President Dissanayake, in his message posted on social media, said that the Brazilian people had not merely won an Election but had defeated “the forces of corruption, division and political lies”. Describing da Silva’s victory as historic, the President said that it demonstrated that people could not be misled by “bankrupt political dynasties and the ghosts of the past who believe that might is greater than right”. He also congratulated da Silva on leading “the march of progress yet again”. 

Herath stressed that democracy required respect not only for electoral outcomes but also for the diversity of political choices made by citizens of other countries. Whether political families or dynasties should continue to exercise influence, he said, is ultimately a matter for the people of those countries to decide. 

To illustrate his point, Herath asked whether Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi’s family background should become a reason to question the democratic choice of Indian voters if they elected him Prime Minister. Further, he argued that there was an important distinction between expressing political solidarity and maintaining the diplomatic neutrality expected of a Head of State. 

“The Presidency represents the Nation as a whole, not merely a particular political tradition or ideological position,” Herath said, adding that respect for democratic pluralism and the political sovereignty of other Nations should remain essential considerations in Presidential communication.