Insight By Sunil Kumar 

January 8th, 2016, (with exerpts from an independent report)

As the Former Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday has very appropriately pointed out that the present government appears to be more interested in fulfilling the needs of western countries, Tamil diaspora and Tamil National Alliance than providing relief to suffering masses from many perspectives in its latest attempt to carve out a niche towards what it believes is gaining popularity as a uniformly and just administration fair to all but quite mistakenly it is a mere ploy which in all probabilities will find them deeper in a mire of general discontent in the eyes of those aware of their modus operandi. Particularly the educated crust of Sri Lankan society and displaced Lawmakers and administrators alike observing the meanderings of Government policy in post election Sri Lanka. All but a joke to the people within but receiving acollades and encouragement from the West and the disgruntled Tamil Diaspora and alliances whose disgruntlements seem to be a part of their very existences.

Tha root cause of the problem as pointed out by the former minister
was that the government had to honour the promises it made to the Tamil diaspora, TNA and the west before the presidential and general elections but somehow very conveniently brushing aside the needs of the general popluace or a greater part thereof  whose very existences have been cast in limbo as the Yahapalayanaya. dances to the tunes of the West and the Nagasalams of some of the minority Tamils whose eter nal ramblings seem to take an ungainly priority over the greater needs of the Nation.

While he pellucidated through his insight into related matters by way of his background and expertise mostly as a legislator and in a legal sense he was not far wrong in claiming that the proposed process to introduce a new Constitution was illegal where he had every right to do so on behalf of every perceptive Sri Lankan cast adrift as a result of wrongful and ludicrous policy making by the present administration where he has exhorted the saner and rational people of Sri Lanka not to fall into the trap of changing the Constitution as the government planned to fulfil the needs of the West and Tamil diaspora et al where constitutional changes in all likelihood could pose many unseen dangers such as those involving the preferential voting system and other tenets that could compromise the very essence of universal franchise at best.

Quoting further from his address  Prof. Peiris has pointed out the merits of  conducting a referendum for all the points of the draft new Constitution, not for a 200 point draft as proposed by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, reason for which seems painfully obvious.

He said although the Constitution would be changed, the executive presidency would not budge for five years and it was a joke.
Somewhat curiously there was still no final decision on electoral reforms within the government, but they were talking about changing the Constitution.

The general consensus of the former minister’s observations have also entailed the following:-
That Indian Transport Minister recently announced that the bridge between Sri Lanka and India was on the way (something which could have serious ramifications for the Sovereignity and Territorial Integrity of Sri Lanka!) and Asian Development Bank would fund the project, but the Sri Lankan government has conveniently denied it.
He said the government also planned to bring the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) in a different name to cheat Lankan people. Prime Minister Ranil Wickrtemasinghe’s sing song like lyrics relative to Heritage Site Status attached to this in another report says it all.
“Prof Peiris has also said that ” every week, US officials visit Sri Lanka to evaluate the progress of promises,” adding that  ‘ those visits of US top officials proved the government’s agenda. as part of his evaluation.

Former Minister Dinesh Gunawardena  part of the team of speakers  comprising of the  group addressing the issues at hand  has said they had requested a discussion from President Maithripala Sirisena regarding the change of Constitution.

He said if President Sirisena failed to give a discussion, the Joint Opposition would take action against it at the special sitting scheduled soon

Given all the aforementioned information, there is every indication that the Yahapalanaya does in fact seems to be contemplating a new constitutional trap which deservedly needs to be nipped in the bud before it precipitates disastrous consequences for Sri Lanka as Prof G.L Peiris’ conventional wisdom has pointed out out.