Asgiri and Malwathu Joint Council says no to new Constitution
Posted on October 18th, 2017

නව ව්‍යවස්ථාවක් එපා – අස්ගිරි මල්වතු සංඝ සභාවෙන් තීරණයක්

The Joint Sangha Council of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters of the Siam Sect have decided that there is no need for a new Constitution or any amendments to the existing Constitution.

The council, which convened for a special meeting at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy this evening (18), also decided that the ongoing process of formulating a new constitution should be halted immediately.

The Sangha Councils of both chapters gathered today to discuss the proposed new constitution, in the wake of the release of the Interim Report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly.

Lay scholars from various sectors also participated in this meeting, after which Maha Sangha from Asgiri and Malwathu Chapters explained to the media the decision which were reached.

12 Responses to “Asgiri and Malwathu Joint Council says no to new Constitution”

  1. Dilrook Says:

    If it is a true joint statement and the chief prelates abide by them, then it is a positive development. Our thanks to the experts that convinced them after a long discussion. They have done well for the nation.

  2. Fran Diaz Says:

    Such a relief to hear this Good News from both Asgiri & Malwathu Jnt Council !
    Thank you, Venerable Sirs.

  3. Senerath Says:

    Most people ignorant here to the fact that there is an unofficial ‘Kathikawatha’ happening among Sangha. There is less respect for ‘POLITICAL MONKS’ ( who are ususally corrupt, do not observe any dicipline) in this very powerful group. This group is responsible for changing public opinion, not those temples visited frequently by political blood suckers.

    Stupid action taken by officials in ‘Vana Sanrakshanaya’ is a big set back for the governement, but Sangha is also aware that a certain corrupt political goons are using officials to do very unpopular acts to make the governement unpopular. Stupid political kaakkos cannot influence this group. Monks are aware of some of those so called ‘experts’ and they do not respect most of them too.

    If you watch carefully you will notice recent incidents doing necessary corrections.

    People should be careful in calling names to senior monks which will not do any benift to Nationalism but playibg into hands of Pal Horu.

  4. Vaisrawana Says:

    This is a positive development indeed. Let’s hope the Mahanayake monks of the other Nikayas will join in immediately. The first speaker here spoke on behalf of all the monks in the island, implicitly assuming that this time the Maha Sangha are united on this point. As this is intrinsically a political matter, politicians must be left to handle it. The power of the monks will be relevant so long as they remain above partisan politics; their influence in shaping policy is on the moral plane. Virtually, there is strictly no state in the that is absolutely secular. Even in communist China, the government supports the maintenance of religious places of worship. About 80% of the population there have been found to profess some sort of religion. (I am not sure if this information is strictly true. I heard it on a BBC program). People need not worry about Buddhism being given the foremost place in the constitution.

  5. SA Kumar Says:

    Asgiri and Malwathu Joint Council says no to new Constitution- Well done Hon Pigus

    Naalai pirakkum TE !!!!

  6. Nihal Perera Says:

    I am indeed pleased that Asgiri & Malwathu Jnt Council finally decided to reject the new constitution which is nothing but a disastrous road map for the eventual partitioning of the country.

    It was the West, India, and the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora (supporters of Yahapalanaya idiots..), who were pushing for a new constitution with a hidden agenda of strengthening the provincial councils, which would have tremendously helped the Tamils to form their Eelam in the future, by giving them so much power, and provisions to combining the north and the east.

    Time has come for all the Sri Lankans (especially Sinhala-Buddhists), to support the Maha Sanga to save our motherland from this dangerous regime run by bunch of cunning politicians such as Ranil, Sira, Mangala, Chandrika, etc.

  7. Asanga Says:

    @Senarath,
    Can you please elaborate a little more on the ‘Kathikawath’ traditions? As you rightfully said it is a side to the influence of the Maha Sangha on the governance of our land that most people (including myself) are ignorant about. Thank you in advance for any information.

  8. Senerath Says:

    @Asanga
    Good you asked. These are very senior monks (not Malwathu and Asgiri) who do not really pracitce as those forrest sangha but they still follow decipline to some extent. They respect each other and are in a position to advice Malwatu and Asgiri. Although some of them have close contact with politicians, they, like us know very well who they are.
    If you could look at one of my recent postings in this web and listen to the video you will understand that recently some monks are now getting fed up with the governement.
    They don’t usually make remarks in public but get together when something serious happens. This had some influence in last elections.

  9. Ananda-USA Says:

    FINALLY! The Asgiri and Mawatta Chapters have spoken CLEARLY & UNAMBIGUOUSLY fulfilling their time-honored traditional role to defend and protect Sri Lanka’s Sinhala Buddhist majority!

    As Fran Diaz says … it is SUCH A RELIEF to those of us who love this hallowed land like NO OTHER!

    Now, let the Ramanna and Amarapura Nikayas follow the lead of the Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters to CONSOLIDATE the OPINION of the Sinhala Buddhist majority of our country in a CLEAR UNIFIED VOICE!

    We must NEVER LET any PARA-GATHI DESHADROHI PAL-HORU KALLIYA composed OF the minorities, led BY the minorities and working FOR the minorities, who have NEVER DEFENDED and FOUGHT FOR our Motherland, whose ONLY PURPOSE is to SUBJUGATE the Sinhala Buddhists and transform it into a PATCHWORK Nation of Communal BANTUSTANS, DABBLE WITH its CONSTITUTION!

    Let the Yamapalanaya TAKE SERIOUS NOTE of this, and CEASE & DESIST their MACHIVELLIAN PLOTS to DIVIDE-UP and DISINTEGRATE our Motherland, lest they be soon hoisted on POINTED STAKES at the Galle-Face Green!

    We SIMPLY DON’T TRUST this PAL-HORA Yamapalana KALLIYA of well-established DESHADROHIS!

  10. Ananda-USA Says:

    No need for a new Constitution, Sri Lanka Buddhist prelates decide

    Wed, Oct 18, 2017, 10:00 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

    Oct 18, Colombo: The Chief Prelates of two main Buddhist chapters today issued a special announcement saying Sri Lanka did not need a new constitution or amendments to the present Constitution of the country.

    The members of the Maha Sangha Sabhas of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters convened yesterday at the historic Temple of the Tooth in Kandy to discuss the proposed new constitutional reforms.

    Following the meeting, the Anunayake of the Malwatte Cahpter, Ven. Dimbulkumbure Wimaladharma Thera told the media that the proposed Constitution is detrimental as it will devolve such power, not even the parliament will have, to the Provincial Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas.

    “We have been specially discussing the new constitution, because a panel of experts informed us on this. This constitution provides for the allocation of powers to the Pradeshiya Sabhas and provincial councils that even the entire Parliament don’t have. Therefore, this constitution is unsuitable. We decided that this constitution would be inappropriate. We also say that no new Constitution is needed. The current Constitution is good for us,” the Anunayake Thera said.

    He said the chief prelates of the other two Buddhist chapters, Ramangnna Nikaya and Amarapura Nikaya as well as the entire Maha Sangha will be enlightened on the reforms and their strong opposition to a new constitution will be expressed.

    We ask the government to halt this constitution drafting process immediately. The old Constitution is good for us, President’s powers should also be retained but an electoral system based on first-past-the- post system,” the Thera said.

    Ven. Dhammananda Thera said this was the opinion of the Chief Prelates of both the Asgiri and Malwathu Chapters.

    “We decided that the entire Maha Sangha should oppose this constitution,” the Anunayake Thera said reiterating their stance.

  11. SA Kumar Says:

    Mawatta Chapters- is not in the country RW said !!!
    who are these Ven. Dhammananda Thera & Anunayake Thera ? ‘Kathikawath’

  12. Fran Diaz Says:

    The Country says “NO” not only to the proposed new Constitution, but also to RW as Exec PM (or any other high post).

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