Constitutional Reforms: Conspiracy against Majority Sinhalese – say NO to 19th amendment
Posted on April 21st, 2015

Shenali D Waduge

Let us get down to the crux of the matter. Sri Lanka is a small nation but it is a small nation with a very long recorded history and a longer civilizational history. The nation was built with a history and the hela people today make up over 70% of the population. If elsewhere it is an internationally accepted right that the will of the majority prevails why should it be different in Sri Lanka? Ever since 1505 attempts have been made to dilute the powers of the Sinhalese through various ways.  An article by Presidents Counsel Manohara de Silva titled ‘Proposed 19a to the Constitution – Who’s Purpose’ clearly raises alarm bells for all Sinhalese. What Sinhalese need to pass on to their legislators in Parliament is that the position and decision making rights of the majority Sinhalese must remain 70% say in all matters while the minorities can battle it out between them for the remaining 30%.

Attempts to dilute the powers of the Sinhalese

  • Dividing the Sinhalese Buddhists into Catholics & Christians
  • Under all 3 colonial rulers Sinhalese were massacred, their livelihoods destroyed, females raped, agriculture crops destroyed to kill them by denying food and water (Uva-Wellassa and the exploits of butcher Brownrigg the British Governor is just one example)
  • Liquor was introduce to destroy the Sinhalese
  • Creating amongst the Sinhalese lascoreens/sepoys – people ever ready to denounce national heritage and history in preference and worship of all that the white man does. These were the ones that ceded the nation to colonials and helped them kill Sinhalese and these are the one’s who played a role in regime change in exchange for power, money and perks!
  • Introducing ‘punchi pawula raththaran’ by a foreign NGO to reduce the numbers of Sinhalese having children (a concept introduced during President Premadasas’s rule)
  • Dividing the Sinhala politicians into varied political groups thereby dividing the voters while the Tamils keep to Tamil themed political parties and Muslims follow same pattern.
  • Present constitutional reforms that sheepishly attempts to enable minorities to have the last say.
  • Human weakness for money manipulated to influence MPs to make legislative changes to dilute the majority voice
  • International support generated towards minorities who are ever ready to align to foreign agendas in a horse-deal of ‘give and take’.
  • International campaigns eternally making Sinhalese feel they are the fault for all ills in Sri Lanka and constant name calling and ridiculing via international and locally paid media.
  • Tapping pseudo Buddhist clergy and leading them astray thereby projecting disgust for Buddhism amongst Buddhists. Denigrating Buddhism in contrived ways often with false flags.

If regime change took place combined with slogans and social media funded and steered by the west it is without a doubt that the protagonists in the play were given slogans to campaign for. The abolition of the executive Presidency and the introduction of the 19th amendment to the Constitution has to be part of that coup. That became quite obvious when the nation that thought it had elected a President found out a Prime Minister was also selected (not elected because the elected Prime Minister D M Jayaratne had neither resigned or was sacked). We next found out that the 19a sought to transfer powers of the President to the selected Prime Minister (with or without the knowledge of the elected President).

The crafty manner in which the 19a has tried to take away the inalienable sovereignty given to the people who exercise their power to vote for the President and transfer that to the now selected PM is a selfish and undemocratic manoeuvre. Article 3 and Article 4 have for over 20 past verdicts always held this inalienable right and a case in 2002 wherein Shibly Aziz attempted to separate the 2 articles was clearly not permitted.

We also need to understand at this juncture that the present President has found himself in enviable situation. Windfall to be the President cannot provide the leadership needed to govern and it is perhaps a shortfall that he allowed powers given to him to appoint to be taken by the selected PM though that power lies with only the President. We see by the appointment of UNP MPs into key roles that the President’s powers have been usurped by the selected PM.

Mr. Manohara de Silva also highlights clauses in election criteria that are ad hominem with malicious intent at disqualifying enemies from contesting.

The article also highlights the ‘independence’ of the proposed 10 member ‘Constitutional Council’ in which the PM, the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition are permanent. Of the 7, five are nominated jointly by PM and Opposition Leader. The 6th is appointed by the President and the 7th via an agreement of the majority of MPs who do not belong to political parties of the PM or LO. This means the 7th position is secured only for the minority. What happens is if the PM or Opposition Leader are Sinhalese the 5 members (whom they choose with or even without consultation with their parties) are chosen out of the 7 minority ethnic groups identified by the census department which leads to the Constitutional Council ruled by the minorities. Since the Speaker does not have a vote 5 out of 9 will decide the decisions of the Constitutional Council. What is likely to happen is that the PM and Opposition Leader who represents only 2 districts will decide on behalf of a President who is elected from the whole island by all the communities. The Constitutional Council abdicates the bulk of the voice of the MPs to the choice and decision of the PM and Opposition Leader – under the current set up anyone can see the hara kiri. From 50-50 demands made during colonial period the 19th amendment through Sinhalese lascoreens and sepoys postulating before Western rulers are out to deny the role of the majority Sinhalese legislatively.

The 19th amendment appears to be a very crafty effort to prevent the majority of MPs representing the majority community from participating or having a say in the process of governance. What the present MPs in Parliament need to ask themselves is why the PM / Opposition Leader or Minority appointees are more ‘independent’ than the appointees of the President who is voted by over 50% of voters (made up of all communities).

Mr. Manohara de Silva shows in his article that contrary to the present constitution which does not say the IGP is under President’s control, under the 19th amendment the supposed DIC of the Provincial Police is under the control of the Chief Minister. The 19th amendment craftily clips the Presidents ability to appoint Police Intelligence Officers because the National Police Commission which is under the control of the Chief Minister is responsible for appointments, promotions, transfers, disciplinary control and dismissal of all officers of the National Police Force. Let us also keep in mind there is a supreme court case challenging the constitution of ITAK claiming it is confederal and not federal – therefore under the present provisions these spell dangers for Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity in both North and East.

The 19th amendment’s proposed Finance Commission which consists of the Governor Central Bank, Secretary to the Treasury  and 3 members of the 3 major communities also raises eyebrows in the light of the biggest fraud that has taken place by a non-Sri Lankan Governor appointed by the very government now introducing the 19th amendment. As per present composition the will of the Tamils prevail in all matters of finance! Here again a population of 70% Sinhalese will get only 1 slot!

The very nations the denounce racial and ethnic elements are promoting the inclusion and preference only for appointments to be according to racial benchmarks no different to how things functioned under colonial rule where favouritism was given to minority groups and the rights of the majority was deliberately quelled. Such mathematically calculated provisions of the 19th amendment is detrimental to the peaceful coexistence of the people. Let us remind the minorities at this juncture contrary to living peacefully with the majority they have at most times created mono-ethnic political parties, segregated themselves by their own behaviour, aligned themselves to political slogans, groups and organizations that openly attempt to divide and carve out pieces of Sri Lanka and declare it independent and are eternally pointing fingers without questioning their own shortcomings and actions. Therefore, like it or not it is the majority that wish to keep the country together while minorities are guilty of aligning to attempts to separate. The TNA though pretending to shirk links with LTTE have a history that if investigated will find them guilty – the Tamil people by voting for them repeatedly show they do not care for this fact. Similarly, the Muslim Congress appears to be following a similar course by demands for a Muslim only area in the East.

What needs to be also accepted is that while minorities have functioned under agendas relevant to only themselves the majority have only attempted to keep the country together. Taking lessons from colonial rule we realize that the West’s preference for minorities and sepoys/lascoreens or ready-to-be-slaves of the whites among Sinhalese were with the purposeful objective of getting control of lands to further plunder them. With the neo-colonial efforts in place it requires the nation to be alert to all mechanizations at place in particular the manner in which regime change took place and the manner the 19th amendment is attempting to suspiciously and craftily take away the powers of the majority and enthrone in constitutionally to the minorities.

Sinhalese should be more alert to the attempts being made and realize that Sinhalese are just 14.8m as against a world Tamil population of 76million and a Muslim population of 1.3billion.

The 19th amendment is too dangerous for Sri Lanka.

The 70% position of the Sinhalese must be allocated to the majority in all decision making and at all times. The 30% only should be allocated amongst the minorities as they see fit.

Shenali D Waduge 

Please read Mr. Manohara de Silva’s article which gives further details of the dangers at hand.

 

 

7 Responses to “Constitutional Reforms: Conspiracy against Majority Sinhalese – say NO to 19th amendment”

  1. Christie Says:

    Namaste: Indian Empire is a very powerful and they archive their goals thorough nonviolent oppression and aggression. What happened in Maldives may happen in the Island nation of ours. You also alienate Muslims. Majority of Muslims are Sinhalese. The problem we have is the same as other Indian colonies. In South Africa Blacks lynch Blacks while Indian Colonial Parasites enoy in their gated communities. Jai Hind.

  2. Lorenzo Says:

    A MILITARY TAKE OVER is the ONLY hope.

    But there are some errors SW.

    “The 70% position of the Sinhalese.”

    Singhalese are 75% of the population. In 1948 they were only 67%. Now 75%. How?

    1. THANK GOD SL DEPORTED some (at least some) kallthonis.
    2. got rid of 1 million+ Tamils to foreign countries since 1983 mostly after 1987.
    3. lived under SINHALA ONLY for 31 years until 1987.

    Thanks to these reasons 67% became 75%. But now the trend has been reversed. Tamil should NOT be an official language. IF Tamil and Muslim population grows faster and change the 75% of Singhalese, there is only one option to bring back status quo – violence. If you say NO to violence, then extinction is guaranteed. Look at Tamil Nadu – TAMIL ONLY. Look at Pakistan – MUSLIM ONLY.

  3. Fran Diaz Says:

    Shenali has posted a great truth here : It certainly is after Colonisation that most of Lanka’s worst troubles started.

    To save Lanka even at this late stage, we have to :
    * remove the Tamil language as a National/Official language of Lanka. Or else Tamil illegal migrants will continue to come in and make matters worse through their various masters abroad and the Tamil Diaspora. Tamil Nadu too has transferred a lot of their Caste/poverty problems to Lanka plus the Separatist ideas.

    * Lanka cannot afford to have the 13-A in place due to Separatism.

    * For the same reasons, Lanka cannot afford to have the 19-A in place either.

    As the majority of the people of the country feel insecure with the way the government functions at present, the People must demand that it is high time that all the negative aspects are removed.

  4. S.A Says:

    MR supporters have managed to show the following facts within 100days.

    1. MR is the most popular leader in Sri Lanka, despite his defeat (actually country’s defeat) due to the political coup planned by the West and India.
    2. My3 ‘s is just a puppet and is the most incapable President/PM we had since independence.
    3. Ranil is the favourite of the West and his dictatorial behaviour overrides that of his uncle JR .His continued leadership will defiantly create something similar to CIA backed a Dinh Diem regime in Vietnam in 1960s.

    MR camp should now have the strategies to achieve the following as early as possible.

    1. To defeat 19A
    2. Replace My3 with MR as the leader of the SLFP or strengthen the UPFA with his leadership to win the next general election.

  5. SA Kumar Says:

    Fran Diaz/ Lorenzo apart from you two no one bother about 13A &Tamil language as a National/Official language .

    You know why We are United to live separately in Mother Lanka .

    Step two in done now

    now We-Tamil should work for final step –
    at least you know now kottiyas are crawling since 19th May 2009 for final jump to get the neck of …..

  6. Fran Diaz Says:

    Kumar,

    YOU are showing interest in both items !!

  7. SA Kumar Says:

    YOU are showing interest in both items !!- correct
    United Mother Lanka that what I like it not separation or Unity .
    I have a dream….
    Maha veli water come to Irana madu kulam , all Tamil speck Sinhala include Estate Tamils, at least 100,000 Sinhala family settle in NEP !!!

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

 


Copyright © 2024 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress