Govt. turns down all JO proposals on new Constitution: Vidura
Posted on February 21st, 2017
Thilanka Kanakarathna Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Addressing a press briefing the JO’s subcommittee representative Parliamentarian Vidura Wickramanayake said that on behalf of the group he produced 14 suggestions with the support of MP Sanath Nishantha, which had been rejected by the government.
Not a single suggestion, we made, was considered while setting this up. The Steering Committee with six subcommittees has been assigned to this responsibility under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe,” he said.
He said that though the Government though utters continuously that it would not breach the unitary state of the country, the content of the new constitution was not consistent.
The facts in the new Constitution report could divide the country. Today the President has the authority to pressurise the Provincial Councils and control the wrongdoings through the Governor. So far Parliament has the sole power in law making. But it could be loosened if the Government enacts this new Constitution,” he said.
Mr. Wickramanayake also said that they suspected the intention of producing such a constitutional report might be a step to push the country back to the dark ages.
No one could save the country becoming the next Israel or Lebanon,” he said.
Meantime, he said that a Constitution was a document that used for decades for the purpose of securing the people’s privileges.
The MP warned that the Constitution report government had introduced was preplanned and not fulfilled the country’s true needs.
Mr. Wickramanayake said that discussions were under way to withdraw their membership from the subcommittee as there was no room for the Joint Opposition’s voice.
The Constitution the Government is trying to implement only pose unhealthy results to the country as it will only serve a few politicians,” he said. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
– See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Govt-turns-down-all-JO-proposals-on-new-Constitution-Vidura–124146.html#sthash.3UOeSg0y.dpuf
February 21st, 2017 at 4:48 pm
JO should not have allowed any of its members to Join these Committees. In the first instance there is no necessity to write a New Constitution to Sri Lanka, Secondly if a new Constitution is to be written it should not be by this most unpopular and undemocratic Yahapalanaya Government,thirdly this is not the right time to write a New Constitution. And above all a Constituition of a country is written by the Majority Community of that country, and it does not write the constitution to please this or that Community but for the whole country, safe gu.
February 21st, 2017 at 4:48 pm
JO should not have allowed any of its members to Join these Committees. In the first instance there is no necessity to write a New Constitution to Sri Lanka, Secondly if a new Constitution is to be written it should not be by this most unpopular and undemocratic Yahapalanaya Government,thirdly this is not the right time to write a New Constitution. And above all a Constituition of a country is written by the Majority Community of that country, and it does not write the constitution to please this or that Community but for the whole country;
February 21st, 2017 at 5:22 pm
Agree with Charles that the JO should not have been party to this fraud.
However, what is most disgusting is JO deception. A week ago a number of JO MPs and others declared the “JO had decided to withdraw from subcommittees after the draft has been produced”. Bad enough locking the stables after the (unitary) horse has bolted.
The JO has still not resigned! JO now says “discussions were under way to withdraw their membership from the subcommittee”. So they are still at the discussion stage. The government cleverly timed vehicle permits to get their support when it was needed.
I ask once again – who are they trying to fool? Sinhala voters must be idiots to be fooled again by their ungrateful elected representatives. The need for a new political movement is felt badly. No existing party is interested in saving the nation.
February 21st, 2017 at 5:50 pm
Most of all JO shows a very clear “lack of nationalist leadership”. Nationalists will be defated by BIG NAMES with personal agendas. That is my fear.
February 21st, 2017 at 7:24 pm
BUT, BUt, But, but ……. HOLD-ON GOD-DAMMIT!.
Will the SLFP rump dominated by Aiyooo Sirisena try to push through Constitutional Amendments that would normally require referendums by FALSELY PRESENTING them as Amendments that do not require referendums????
I don’t TRUST these Yamapalanaya GOONS even as far as I can THROW A GRAND PIANO!
They appointed and allowed 6 Consitutional Committess without a majority of well known PATRIOTIC Sinhala Buddhist leaders, and dominated by and packed with SEPARATIST minority leaders to produce the 6 Constitutional Committee Reports that basically amount to the DISSOLUTION of Sri Lanka asa sovereign unitary historical homeland of its majority Sinhala Buddhist People!
NO PATRIOTIC GOVERNMENT would do so and attempt to DISENFRANCHISE the majority community of their Motherland!
In short, these are TRAITORS colluding with FOREIGN POWERS and SEPARATIST minorities to destroy our Motherland!
I DON’T TRUST the Yamapalanaya: They SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED to Amend the Constitution in ANY SHAPE or FORM … PERIOD!
February 21st, 2017 at 9:16 pm
Now the UNP will say JO party was ALSO in the committees when the thing was written!!
e.g. A group of men burnt a hotel recently. 5 of them attacked the hotel but 2 of them stayed out. Police arrested all 7.
Why did MR allow his JO boys to join this nonsense! Who needs a NEW CONSTITUTION?
One of JO proposals was ABOLISH EXEC PRESIDENCY.
Sira disagreed. Good decision by Sira.