Of men and the "Ruling Ring": Destructive resilience of Sri Lanka's executive presidency

Abstract

In this article, I use Tolkien’s three-volume novel <em>The Lord of the Rings </em>as an allegory to elucidate the extent of the hegemonic power accorded<em> </em>to the executive president by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. For this<em> </em>purpose, I compare the nature of the power dynamics resulting from the<em> </em>executive presidency with that of the ‘One Ring’, which allows its wielder the<em> </em>power to overpower the novel’s world. I draw parallels between their design<em> </em>and the effect upon those who possess them. However, the significance of<em> </em>delving into the nuances of this comparison between law and literature<em> </em>lies not only in its capacity to elucidate the current power dynamics of<em> </em>the executive presidency but also in its potential to challenge these power<em> </em>dynamics. Fantasy literature is especially important in this regard because<em> </em>the function of the fantasy genre is to defy convention, defy the status<em> </em>quo, and imagine the impossible. Therefore, I approach fantasy literature as<em> </em>a form of literary resistance. Focusing on law, the capacity to imagine new<em> </em>visions for justice plays a significant role in the development of the law.<em> </em>I explore what <em>The Lord of the Rings </em>can offer in attempts to dismantle the<em> </em>powers concentrated in the executive presidency. With this aim, I interpret<em> </em>the novel’s quest to destroy the ring as a saga of persistent resistance<em> </em>and apply this interpretation to the Sri Lankan attempts at abolishing and<em> </em>limiting the powers of the presidency so far.<em></em>