‘Political parties should support formulating new constitution’
Political parties should not act to defeat the attempt of introducing a new constitution, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.
The Minister was speaking during the debate on the interim report of the Steering Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Parliament yesterday.
“No body needs to fear because a new constitution that would lead to a racial, religious or ethnic conflict would not be moved. “The Buddhist prelates do not need to fear since the new constitution would guarantee the same status Buddhism has in the present one,” he said.
The Minister said the clauses from one to nine in the Constitution should be kept intact in the new constitution since they would not obstruct devolving powers.
“The Mahanayake Theras and the people requested not to amend the clauses pertaining to the unitary status and the place given to Buddhism,” Minister de SIlva said. “We as the SLFP maintain the same view,” he said.
He said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa assured the international community that he would give 13+. The Minister said the SLFP maintained the same view.
President Maithripala Sirisena assured in his election manifesto that he would not amend any clauses of the Constitution that required a referendum, the Minister said.
“The SLFP is against the amalgamation of the North and East. Judges to the Constitutional Court should be appointed from the Supreme Court. The governor, as the president’s representative, should have some powers to uphold unitary status and security. Lands should be procured to the President whenever he asked them for the national security,” the Minister said.
He said that although the SLFP always requested to change the election system, so far it has not been fulfilled.
Position of Buddhism well protected in new constitution: Kiriella
The position of Buddhism could be well protected by introducing the clauses on Buddhism in the Constitution to the new constitution, Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella yesterday said.
He was participating in the debate on the interim report of the Steering Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Parliament yesterday.
He said the country’s unitary status would be guaranteed.
“The document in hand today was not the final draft and the clauses in the interim report could be changed during the Constitutional Assembly if necessary,” he said.
The Minister said Mahinda Rajapaksa said the government would give more powers than in the 13th amendment to the constitution by way of a new constitution while he was the President. “Now he stands against a new constitution,” Minister Kiriella said.
“Mahinda Rajapaksa promised India during the war that he would give 13+ to get their support for he knew he could not win without India’s support,” Minister Kiriella said. “Former President said he would accept what the Steering Committee suggests on a new Constitution. But he could not appoint the committee as the other parties did not have confidence on it,” the Minister said.
The Minister said the unity government was able to bring all parties and all races to one table and prepare an interim report successfully. He said the Tamils asked for their right of language in 1950s, but the then governments did not accept it. He said the country experienced a three-decades civil war as a result.
He said a national land commission would be given the authority of the lands whereas the Police matters would be considered by a national police commission.
The Minister said that when we obtained independence, economy of many countries were far behind us but they have gone passing us as they had managed their ethnic issues. “But we were not able to do so,” Minister Kiriella said. “But after 60 years, we were able to bring all parties and representatives to one table for discussions,” he said.
Sumanthiran exposes JO’s duplicity
TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran yesterday exposing the duplicity of the Joint Opposition members led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa took them to task over their contradictory statements now and then over power sharing and related matters in the Constitution.
Sumanthiran joining the Constitutional Assembly debate yesterday reminded that not only Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena but also UPFA Presidential Candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa pledged to bring in a new constitution in the run-up to the 2015 Presidential polls.
“Ninety seven percent of those who voted in January 2015 have voted for a new Constitution. A few individuals standing on the streets cannot deny this fact,” he said. He reminded that the Resolution to form a Constitutional Assembly to formulate a new Constitution was passed unanimously in Parliament after extensive debate.
“Nobody raised a voice against nor called for a division. Even the Steering Committee and all the sub-committee members were appointed unanimously. The two joint opposition MPs representing the Steering Committee played an active role. Almost 20 percent or more of the entire contents of the Steering Committee minutes are their participation,” he said.
Sumanthiran said MPs Namal Rajapaksa and Shehan Semasinghe, who cried foul that their views had not been incorporated in the Law and Order Sub-Committee report, were invited by the Steering Committee to present their case. “The Prime Minister requested them to present their views in writing in one week. They agreed but nothing came to the Steering Committee,” Sumanthiran said.
Establishing his party’s case for a new Constitution to resolve the national question, Sumanthiran said the TNA was for “a one, undivided and even indivisible country”.
“In the interest of reaching an acceptable consensus, the TNA is willing to consider agreement with the main principles articulated in the Interim Report if the same are acceptable to the two main parties. We are striving hard to achieve a consensus which we can put before our people. If the country is to remain one, different people in this country must have a share of the governance. We do not want to be second class citizens in this country. That is why we seek maximum possible devolution of power. Until we are treated as equals, we will never be in a position to say we are proud of being Sri Lankans,” he remarked.
Sumanthiran, exposing the contradictory views held by former President Rajapaksa over the 13th Amendment, reminded that Rajapaksa was in the forefront in the Hartal against the 13A in 1987 at Pettah saying the country was going to be divided. “The same Rajapaksa, when he was in power, repeatedly said that he would implement the 13A in full and even go beyond it to make power sharing meaningful. Not only that, when the Provincial Council elections are postponed today, he is screaming his head off asking for PC polls” he said.
“When the 2000 August Constitution Bill was presented, Mahinda Rajapaksa as a Cabinet Minister of the then Government supported it. Today, in the Interim Report, we say that the country is one or in other words ‘ekeeya rajya’. The Constitutional Bill in 2000 does not even say that. It says Sri Lanka is ‘a union of regions’. The UNP burnt the copy of this Bill because there was a transitional provision with regard to the Executive Presidency, and not because of its clause on power sharing,” he recalled.
“Rajapaksa formed the APRC and pushed for maximum power sharing. It recommended not having a concurrent list. But today we have no objection for a short concurrent list,” he said.
“Then why do you say the country is going to be divided by this report, whereas you approved a draft bill that went far beyond what is contemplated in this interim report when you were in power. Is it not to mislead the people of this country and prevent a final resolution to the national question that has plagued this country ever since independence?” he questioned from the Joint Opposition MPs.
‘We do not oppose Buddhists having foremost place’
TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran yesterday making his party’s case for a secular and federal state, said if Buddhists wish to be in the foremost place, they (TNA) have no objection of granting it to them.
Yet he questioned how could any Buddhist defends that position in line with the teachings of Buddhism.
“I am not a Buddhist. I don’t like to be told that I am a second class citizen in this country. It is up to this House to decide whether you want a Constitution that does not treat all of its citizens equally. We will not stand in the way if Buddhists want the foremost position, but it is an indefensible position for the Buddhists to take. How can any Buddhist stand up and say that they are above the others who follow other faiths?” he questioned.
“We have said Sri Lanka must be a federal state. There is a wrong view that the call for federalism comes from the Tamil people because they want to separate from this country. Nothing can be furthest from the truth. The federal idea was introduced to this country by former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in 1926. He wrote six letters to the Ceylon Morning Leader on federalism. He categorically stated that Ceylon must be a federal state,” Sumanthiran said tabling the six letters in the House. “Even the Communist Party had articulated its position in the past that Sri Lanka must be a federal state,” he said.
Constitutional reforms must abolish Executive Presidency: JVP
The JVP yesterday reiterated its position that the Executive Presidency must be abolished under the proposed Constitutional reforms.
JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake taking part in the Constitutional Assembly debate said the Executive Presidency has contributed to large scale corruption in the country.
“Executive Presidents tend to cover up his corrupt ministers. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the most recent example to prove the case; all his predecessors more or less did the same,” he said.
He said the Executive Presidency over the past 40 years produced dictators, invited corruption, interfered in the judiciary overwhelmingly and restricted Parliament to a mere rubber stamp.
“This history speaks that the Executive Presidency has not protected the country,” he said.
“Abolishing Executive Presidency was a key pre-election promise of all Presidents elected to power since 1994. The public discussion in the run-up to the 2015 Presidential Polls was centred on the abolition of Executive Presidency. The hue and cry against the Constitution that we see in the country has suppressed this important dialogue on Executive Presidency,” he said.
“The JVP is in favour of a multi-party democratic system with a President appointed by Parliament with limited powers,” the MP said.
MP Rathnayake said the Constitution was revised 19 times and it has big holes that could not be patched up with amendments.
“New Constitution will not solve the economic and social problems in the country, but it will be helpful in attaining solutions to certain political problems plaguing the country,” he said.
The JVP MP said various parties were trying to see the continuance of Executive Presidency by creating fear psychosis in the minds of the people that ‘Buddhism in peril’ and ‘unitary status of the country is in danger’.
New constitution formulated on foreigners’ instructions: Dinesh
The new constitution is formulated on foreigners’ instructions, Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday said.
He made these observations yesterday during the debate on the interim report of the Steering Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Parliament.
He stated that the Steering Committee report was prepared unilaterally.
Gunawardena said the committee took only views of 3,000 people. “When we take into account the number of voters in the country, a ridiculously low number contributed,” MP Gunawardena said. “That is why the SLFPers stands against the constitution,” he said.
“The JO demands to stop this endeavour that has grave implications on the country,” he said. “Fourteen suggestions the JO made were not included in the report. The Government exploit parliamentary power in this case,” he said.
He questioned what happened to the six sub committee reports. He added that the Joint Opposition disagreements are not included in the reports. “The Tamil Translation of the report does not contain the phrase ‘unitary status’ but of a united government which cannot be acceptable,” he said.
“The majority of the people object this new constitution,” MP Gunawardena said.
“The Government is attempting to go for a federal concept. We oppose it. The powers of the central government should not be limited,” he said.
If the same new constitution was passed, it would divide the country,” he said.
NFF MPs in protest outside lunch in Parliament canteen
The National Freedom Front (NFF) MPs who led the demonstration near the Parliament roundabout yesterday against the Constitutional proposals were subsequently seen at the MPs’ canteen in Parliament enjoying their lunch.
The five NFF Parliamentarians led by MP Wimal Weerawansa refrained from taking part in the debate on Constitutional Reforms as they pulled out of the Constitutional Assembly in July.
Without placing their views on record and arguing their case inside the main chamber, the NFF MPs resorted to protest on streets outside Parliament seeking media spotlight.
Despite the fact they boycotted the debate, they were present in Parliament at the lunchtime to have their meals.
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