While the horror in Palestine continues, political drama has suddenly flared in other parts of the world, namely South Korea and France. At the same time, the bloody Ukraine War in Eastern Europe grinds on with very powerful contesting military forces dangerously poised in that region.
Numbed as we are from constantly watching the sick bloodletting in Gaza, we Sri Lankans could wonder whether, equipped as we are with a most stable and proficient Government in Colombo, we should offer our ‘good offices’ to the West. Sri Lanka’s recent record of most peaceful elections that has placed a reformist national leadership surely qualifies us to mediate in the volatile politics of those very centres of power that, for decades, preached to us about ‘peace’ and ‘democracy’.
Sri Lankan civic organisations that already share their expertise on election conduct with other Asian states, such as PAFFREL (People’s Alliance for Fair and Free Elections) and CMEV (Centre for Monitoring Election Violence), may now be needed to help out further afield, perhaps Westwards. After all, do we not want competence and decency in those centres of world power that could, at their nefarious whim, upturn what is left of the so-called ‘World Order’?
Political intrigue
Former French Premier Michel Barnier
French President Emmanuel Macron
Those familiar with the history of political intrigue and debauchery at the heart of the ancient Roman Empire during its long decline, now keenly note the similar features increasingly characterising the United States, the latest geopolitical hegemon in decline. The world today watches bemused as Washington’s future Government appoints new top officers already known for their sordid sexual decadence, opportunism and constitutional antics.
‘Bemused’, it might be, but the world community, whose sensibilities are lacerated by the public Gaza genocide and the openly cynical posturing of the perpetrators, may no longer care if those perpetrating States and their societies are tied up in knots. A weaker hegemon is possibly better than a strong, efficient one, some of its victims could argue.
The problem is that some of America’s incoming Government officials, with pasts of near-criminality and obvious mediocrity, may soon be in charge of the world’s dominant economy and most powerful and most globally interventionist military. How will such ‘governance’ in Washington impact on the rest of humanity?
To realise possible impacts, people need to read up, for example, on US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for Washington’s Departments (equivalent to Government Ministries in other countries) of Defence, Justice, Homeland Security, and Education among other vital arms of the American Government. Just query the internet on these nominees to learn of their ‘qualifications’. Their various antics could make entertaining reading if not for the serious implications of their assuming office.
Wise to the governance implications, the electorally triumphant Republican Party (GOP) has already rejected some other Trump nominations. But, still, Americans are faced with the possible appointment of a head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) who has previously vowed to disband some of that world famous Bureau’s most vital intelligence and investigative units. Another nominee wants to ‘abolish’ the entire Department of Education.
And, whether the world’s richest man, Elon Musk of Tesla, X and SpaceX fame will accept a non-existent ‘Department for Government Efficiency’ (GOE) remains to be seen, though it has no Cabinet rank. Surely, by now, he must realise that national governance is very different from business. Perhaps his Artificial Intelligence (AI) apps could advise him.
Meanwhile, in an act of classic nepotism, outgoing US President Joe Biden has given a pardon to his already convicted son (on gun and tax evasion charges) Hunter Biden. Of course, Hunter Biden had not committed murder like some Sri Lankan political assassins who have been favoured with Presidential pardons here.
Bemused as we are with all these goings-on in some of the ‘Great’ powers, the sudden political drama in South Korea briefly diverted attention.
South Korea
Last Tuesday evening, elected President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, suddenly publicly announced ‘Martial Law’ status in his country. However, after a brief period of shock and alarm, the political Opposition rallied and forced through a vote in the National Assembly that overruled the Presidential Declaration. It all happened within about six hours, according to news agencies.
By late morning Wednesday, Koreans were learning that President Yoon had withdrawn the Martial Law status and normal Government had been restored, removing the prospect of a revival of military dictatorship for which South Korea was notorious just over 40 years ago. Yesterday, the President apologised to the Korean nation for imposing Martial Law. He was due to face an Impeachment Motion yesterday.
By Wednesday evening, even as things began to calm down, demonstrators continued to crowd the stairways of the National Assembly building in Seoul with posters reading, ‘Impeach Yoon Seok Yeol’.
Giving a sudden televised address to the nation, President Yoon had proclaimed the need to “protect the country from North Korean communists and eliminate anti-State elements”. Yoon, known to be facing possible prosecution for governance irregularities, and rapidly losing popularity, had claimed a need to “rebuild and protect the country from falling into ruin”.
News agencies reported that by deploying troops to blockade the National Assembly building overnight, Yoon attempted to stop Parliamentarians from interfering in his plans. But backed by angry massed supporters, Legislators entered Parliament and voted to lift Martial Law, which eventually lasted for only around two hours.
By Wednesday morning, South Korea had survived its first attempted coup in more than 40 years. National life resumed a semblance of normality.
But hundreds of protesters and citizens gathered in front of the National Assembly to join demonstrations led by members of the Opposition Democratic Party who, a few hours earlier, had put forward a Bill to impeach Yoon.
Previously, South Korean Presidents have been impeached for mis-governance, especially massive corruption and the Korean Supreme Court has upheld such decisions.
Analysts said that the Korean Armed Forces, one of Asia’s most powerful and with a long history of political authoritarianism in the past, had carefully remained largely neutral. However, the Korean Defence Minister, who has resigned, is regarded as being involved in Yoon’s coup attempt and is expected to face criminal prosecution along with Yoon. Yoon was expected to resign by yesterday but many democracy activists are remaining vigilant for any further disruptions.
Business circles were happy that the Korean economy, one of the world’s strongest, was able to resume business without serious interruption.
South Korea, a close US military ally since the Korean Civil War in the early 1950s and during the entire Cold War, has a history of decades of brutally repressive military rule that ended only in 1988. The establishment of democracy took decades of struggle, including the famous Gwangju uprising, a mass protest in May 1980, in the southern city of Gwangju. Hundreds of protesters were killed in the subsequent crackdown by the military dictatorship.
France
Last week also saw France, Europe’s strongest economy after Germany, thrown into political instability when French Legislators on the Right and Left combined to vote out the Centre-Right Government appointed a few months ago by Centrist President Emmanuel Macron.
Last Wednesday evening, 331 French Legislators from Left and Right-wing parties, out of 577 Legislators in the National Assembly, voted in favour of removing the European Union’s (EU) former Brexit negotiator Premier Michel Barnier, 73. Barnier’s resignation came just as he was presenting the National Budget for 2025.
French Legislators from the country’s Left-wing alliance, New Popular Front (NFP), tabled the vote in opposition to Barnier’s austerity budget. This was supported by the far-Right National Rally (RN) led by nationalist firebrand Marie Le Pen, when the Premier tried to push the Budget through the Assembly without a vote.
Both the Right and Left forces are alert to the immense unpopularity of Barnier’s economic policies that are essentially the policies of the French President who is notorious for his neo-liberal outlook. The Budget included more cuts in social welfare spending and higher taxation.
Macron himself is rejecting calls to resign. President of France since 2017, he has a mandate until 2027, when the country’s next Presidential Elections are due to take place.
He is now expected to appoint a stop-gap Government to push through a modified Budget shorn of the social spending cuts that would otherwise provoke another negative vote in the Assembly. Analysts see this as a political triumph for both the French Right and Left groups.
