Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Sri Lankan ruling coalition legislator vows to defeat Rajapaksa
Posted on October 15th, 2014
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A Sri Lankan ruling coalition legislator Venerable Athuraliye Rathana has said that he would do everything to defeat President Mahinda Rajapaksa if he tried to hold Presidential election without amending the constitution.
What we see today is a dictatorial regime controlled by a few bureaucrats,” said Buddhist Monk Venerable Athuraliye Rathana, a legislator of Rajapaksa’s ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition.
His remarks came as a blow to Rajapaksa and his government, who are bracing up for snap presidential polls to seek a record third term.
There are moves to hold a snap presidential election based on astrological advice. I say don’t do it without adopting the 19th amendment,” asserted Rathana, who launched a movement on Tuesday to win backing for a move to force the President to move the 19th amendment to the constitution.
His amendment presented to the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presence of government and opposition legislators calls for abolition of the executive presidential system of government. The 225-member parliament to be empowered with a prime minister headed government.
Rathana said he would do everything possible to ensure Rajapaksa’s defeat at the election if held without the 19th amendment.
Sri Lanka President has already indicated that a snap presidential election in a bid to win his third term will be held in January next year.
He may make the firmd announcement after November 18, four years since the last election.
In Lanka, a presidential term is six years but the incumbents could call early elections after 4 years in office.
Rajapaksa this week expressed his opposition to the demand to abolish the presidency agrees to reform the presidential system if the Tamil diaspora and the main Tamil party, TNA were to give up their call for a separate Tamil state.
October 15th, 2014 at 5:58 am
Why can’t this Thero just ask repeal of 13A first ?
Before defeating Rajapakse shouldn’t they defeat India ? The dreaded 13A together with blood sucking Pallath Sabha MUST GO FIRST.
This is a stupid demand , I think.
Why do we need a 19th with so many stupid amendments haunting our country already ?
October 15th, 2014 at 7:18 am
My Indian Myna says the second in command was in a Western country recently and it appears Indian money is doing the talking as it is the case since 1951. Since 2005 some Sinhala business people have some money help people like the Rajapakses.
October 15th, 2014 at 10:29 am
MR will never repeal the 13A, because that is where his uneducated friends, relations, rapists, murderers who have helped him to achieve this position are. They are paid very well with tremendous Perks to boot. Scrapping the PCs will hurt. It is not only his people, but many Ministers and MPs friends and relations are given jobs too. About two years back I wrote an article, requesting to hold a referendum. Contributors to this forum has shouted from roof tops to scrap 13A. It will never happen. I REPEAT, it will never happen.
The Opposition Politicians did not study and do their home work. Their national anthem was ” scrap the Executive Presidency, Scrap the 13A, Pull down the Government to the Ground. ” They wasted their time, not grooming somebody to contest MR. They were in-fighting. It is my point of view that there is ” NOBODY TO MATCH THE EXPERIENCE, AND THE BROAD SPECTRUM KNOWLEDGE, AND POLITICAL ACUMEN ” that HE President Rajapakse has.
There was NO opposition strategy, they were like a ship without a Compass, and running around like headless chicken. There is a saying that if you want to beat your enemy, you must try to befriend him. Their concept of Opposition is “”OPPOSE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING “” Waiting in Dreamland to sit on the Executive President Chair, is wishful thinking. IT will not happen.
They should have joined the Government in Development Projects, and showed their Colours. Their mustard brains did not conceive that concept. Well the resultant is ” they would be Vowing and Bowing ” till the worlds end.
October 15th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Agree with Nanda.
This is a FOOLISH demand. It is NOT JHU making this demand only ONE MP. One crow doesn’t make it spring.
SL needs executive presidency. SCRAP 13 amendment instead. WHY is he NOT demanding scrapping 13 amendment?
How about banning animal sacrifice he creamed for?
October 15th, 2014 at 5:08 pm
These guys only has to look at the outside world and see what has happened to Libya and Syria. One can see what regime change does to countries. Regime change in the name of ‘non-existent – anywhere’ Democracy and Human Rights is tantamount to ‘cutting the nose to spite the face’. GOSL must put huge billboards of these countries – Before and After Regime Change for people to understand what regime change means. People must understand what happened to these once prosperous countries.
Rajapakses are supposed to be corrupt. However the fact of the matter is there is no viable alternative leadership who can come within a mile of Mahinda Rajapakse at present. Just toppling MR will not do. I am sure the people and the country can bring about a change in MR by confronting him on his alleged wrongdoings. Christian UNP is definitely not the alternative. People of Sri Lanka cannot forget the treacherous and traitorous role it played during the war with the LTTE terrorists.
Christian West wants regime change as part of their worldwide exercise for hegemony – an increasingly loosing game that will not succeed, but lead to World War III at its worst.
It is far better to have a dictatorial regime that is patriotic and has a plan than a so called “democratic” regime which has no plan and out to make another Libya and Syria out of Sri Lanka.
These not a time for personal vendettas. This is a time to ‘circle the wagons’ and fight the Bloody West and the Islamists. Ven Rathana is extremely short sighted.
It is time to do away with the 13th Amendment and all it stands for – do away with the Provincial Councils in toto!
Sri Lanka needs a strong President as long as the threat of LTTE – Eelam revival is still alive and kicking. Sri Lanka suffered from 30 years of untold misery and now just on the verge of taking off to join other developed nations. All in Sri Lanka have much to loose it becomes another Libya or a Syria.
South Korea went through a 18 year dictatorial regime of Park Chung He to become what it is today! In a mere 28 years they went from the worst of a slum laden country to the country that held 1988 Olympics!
October 15th, 2014 at 6:28 pm
Ratnapala,
‘These guys only has to look at the outside world and see what has happened to Libya and Syria.”
– don’t get too carried away with this. These Regime Change nonsense is now over. Now they have different tactics and MR might have been already got caught in it. This time Regime Changers have fooled MR to work with them.
What BBS+JHU+NFF should do is to get together and make patriotic demands like scaping 13A (sakkili Nadu concept) together with Gon Sabaha and Ealaam sabha and other BAD cholesterol in the system from both UNP and MR. They must show how genuine they are – not just talk.
October 15th, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Nanda,
The Regime Change is not nonsense. It is very much alive. Regime Change as a means of controlling other countries is still number one in the Western Christian mind set. They might postpone temporarily but it is only a matter of time. Remember the early stages of the Libyan spring when Gadaffi came out of the cold and rubbed shoulders with the Western Leaders. That was the bait. No sooner he let off his guard the real Libyan spring dawned and he was hunted and killed like a pig.
I agree with you that BBS+JHU+NFF should get together and muster the nation to oppose the 13A. Problem is too many politicians and too little patriots!
Our military after having borne the brunt of terrorism should have a say in what shape of administration the country should have. They have paid for it in blood,sweat and tears. They must have their say. We cannot leave these things to politico vipers alone!
October 15th, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Ratnapala,
Agreed fully and especially the last para on military.
About “regime change” , I mean it is not the one thought by most, by bringing people to streets to chase MR away etc. If they can buy out the leader to do their way, why bring people to streets ? I honestly suspect that is what is happening now. Whoever wins, the bugger is theirs.
That is why we must watch out for policies, promises, ideology, friends that the leader is having, their behaviour lately etc etc than just blindly saying Jayaweva like in the USA.
In the USA both buggers are against the people. They would never allow one like Ron Paul.
Same in Australia. Whoever comes, it is always pro- USA not pro-China ( use them only).
October 15th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
He is making wrong demands. These petty demands are not valid enough to make such a big protest. Instead he should take the very same action he has threatened to take unless a better deal is given to the Sinhalas. Abrogating 13A, putting an end to religious extremism and spread, handling matters contrary to Article 9 of the Constitution should be his demands.
No government can entertain each and every MP’s demand. Since his party is not standing by him, there is no compelling reason to entertain him. He has to join a major party to contest the election and win back his seat. My limited encounters with venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero convinced me he is yet another deceitful politician who refused to take any patriotic action since 2009 until now despite repeated appeals on matters that really concern the people and the nation. All amendments to the Constitution must be widely discussed. Imposing a personal draft of proposed Constitutional changes and threatening to take reprisal action in case of refusal is not how it should be done.
October 15th, 2014 at 9:33 pm
Let’s stick with the devil we know as he had done good to integrate the communities and seems to work tirelessly for the county.During my stay here I see him here then I see him there.He seems to be all over the island in a very short time,not not forgetting his trip to Rome and that slapping drama in NY.He must get rid of the thugs around him.Keep him in power I say as the next guy will be even worse,giving the separatist the rope long enough to hang us.
Besides Clergy has no place in politics.remember Makarios was responsible for division of Cyprus as he didn’t have the bottle to stand up to the lobby that wanted Cyprus divided.western interests in Turkey that broke Cyprus which may lead to a similar situation with with India.
He should stick his head in the Temple and leave politics to politicians.Remember the demise of SWRD where the clergy had an interest in power? Here it’s the country will be at peril.This clegy may be the result of our stupid culture where the religion getting up the noses of the people who pay tax and create the wealth of the country.
October 16th, 2014 at 1:44 am
These days Ven. Rathana thero seems to get off the bed from the wrong side. Minister Ranawaka said that these proposals are Rathana thero’s private proposals and not of their party JHU but the party agrees with it in principal.
few weeks back if I remember correctly,Mr.Ranawaka said that abolishing the presidency can not be taken as as a single issue but it is tied with other issues mainly the polling system which is true and Rathana thero’s demand for just to abolish the presidency makes him sound like Ven.Maduluwave Sobitha.
Out of the seven demands that Rathana thero makes five can be easily agreed to but the question is will he insist on all seven. lets see how things turn out.
October 16th, 2014 at 3:59 am
Under the present system prez is the all powerful person and there is no other mechanism to compel him to do the right thing in case he is wrong. He has systematically destroyed all the safeguards that were there. The clearest example is the Nonis affair to which he has not even responded to all sorts of queries. That is the type of man MR is and is clearly unsuitable for a country having such a long record of civilized society. We are not calling for a spring as such. What is needed is a change with the system we have, if it is not possible to change the constitution.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:39 am
Sinhalese are a minority when it comes to the wealth, birth rates, land ownership and area occupied by an individual including the sea and education I mean English. So what we need is for the Sinhalese to unite and work for the progress of the majority and then we all will be better off. Unfortunately India, Indians and Indian colonial parasites are more powerful, We may have got independence rom the British domination but we have not got independence from the real colonists and imperialist; Indian Union.
October 16th, 2014 at 4:51 am
Aloy,
Just imagine Ruin-ill came to power. Therefore it is important to stop working as if country is owned by him.
But what is more important first is to,
1. Get rid of LTTE power
2. Get rid of Saudi Power
3. Get rid of too much Endian involvements
That is why it is more appropriate to get rid of 13A now, before the above.
We may need executive powers to get rid of Saudi power.
Then there All these are distractions to the main action that is required.
October 16th, 2014 at 5:21 am
Nanda,
Ruinil has power because of MR. Nobody can remove him as long as MR is there. There should be a third force. Perhaps this is what Ven. Athuraliye is doing. I admire his courage to speak the way he did. May be Hon Patali with some Unpers plus JVP has to get together and work out the methodology for the change. They have to forget about the clowns in NFF.
October 17th, 2014 at 5:16 am
“At a very crucial time when the President is seeking a third term by contesting another presidential election,it was ridiculous for the President of Jathika Hela Urumaya and Member of Parliament of the government Ven.Rathana thera’s act in such a manner asking to remove the powers of the executive president. It was really unwanted has been the view of the Patriotic National movement.
The President of the Patriotic national Movement Dr Gunadasa Amarasekera in a media briefing in Colombo had said that the Rathana Thera is helping the Tamil Diaspora to discredit the President and to make Ranil Wickremasinghe the President as needed by the Tamil Diaspora. However Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara had said his movement would be on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s side and would support him.”
– lankacnews
It is VERY FOOLISH for patriots to fight each other. Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara’s patriotic credentials are UNDENIABLE.