20th Amendment impinges on sovereignty and franchise – Mahinda
Posted on August 10th, 2017
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution impinged upon the people’s sovereignty and franchise.
He issued a media release today (09) expressing his views on the 20th Amendment which has reportedly been gazette by the Government with a view of postponing elections to the provincial councils”.
Accordingly, he stated that the Amendment would require a referendum, and added that a petition would also be submitted to the Supreme Court in this regard.
In his media release, the former President explained if the 20th Amendment was passed into law, not only would it allow the postponement of all PC elections, but that it would also allow the extension of the terms of all existing PCs up to September 2019, in a direct violation of the franchise and the sovereignty of the people.”
He pointed out that the local government elections which were due to be conducted back in March 2015 had also been indefinitely postponed.
Accordingly, Rajapaksa stated that the gazetting of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution was the latest in a long list of outrages against democracy perpetrated by the current government.
Speaking on the current government, Mahinda Rajapaksa then proceeded to issue a reminder that they came into power through a conspiracy aided by interested foreign parties. He also pointed out that although the 2015 presidential election was fought on the platform of abolishing the executive presidency, it still remained as it used to be.
He then stated that the independent commissions and important offices of the state were now filled with yamapalana sympathizers”, and added that there had never been such a perversion of democracy in this country” under any government until the present regime’s rise to power.
Even though the yamapalana government won only 106 seats at the 2015 parliamentary election, this has increased to a two thirds majority due to UPFA (United People’s Freedom Alliance) parliamentarians accepting ministerial portfolios”, the former President said in his media release.
Furthermore, he stated that the executive power was being misused by the Government not just to hold on to power, but to also sell strategic national assets to foreigners without consulting the people or even the Parliament.
When two bids are received, the unfavourable bid is selected in a manner that makes it only too plain that vast kickbacks are involved,” he said.
Reaching the conclusion of his release, Rajapaksa urged each and every member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the UPFA in Parliament to oppose the proposed 20th Amendment, as well as the Amendment to the provincial council elections law brought with a view to postponing the forthcoming provincial council elections and to extend the terms of the existing provincial councils without an election.”
The SLFP/UPFA group in parliament can deprive the government of the two thirds majority needed to pass this Amendment,” he reminded, emphasizing that the SLFP/UPFA parliamentarians could together block this in the legislature.
If the need is to hold all the PC elections on the same day, the government can bring forward the elections to all Provincial Councils to 2017, instead of postponing the elections till 2019,” former President Mahinda Rajapaksa pointed out lastly, drawing his release to a close.
August 11th, 2017 at 11:42 am
REPEAL the 13th Amendment, and DISSOLVE the Provincial Councils to PREVENT separatist regional tendencies,
STRENGTHEN and RETAIN the EXECUTIVE Presidency for GREATER stability and effectiveness of the Government. ELIMINATE TERM LIMITATIONS on the President and make the Cabinet answerable to the Chief Executive the President.
INTRODUCE a District Level Administrative System answerabke to the President with APPOINTED and NOT ELECTED DISTRICT Governors to run each District,
APPOINT a Vice-President who will preside over the Senate, and ELIMINATE the post of PRIME MINISTER while Retaining the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives,
CREATE a Senate, in addition to the First Chamber the House of Representatives, as the Second Chamber of Parliament with ONE Senator per District to give Districts with low populations more power in Parliament.
Make the the System of National Law the ONLY LAW within the Nation, ELIMINATING regional/palath sabha laws and community specific laws (Thesawalamai, Kandyan and Mulim/Sharia laws).
Make SINHALA the ONLY OFFICIAL NATIONAL Language of Sri Lanka with Tamil as a permitted community lan gauge and ENGLISH as a COMPULSORY international LINK and COMMERCIAL language.
Make BUDDHISM the NATIONAL RELIGION of Sri Lanka with STATE SPONSORSHIP while freedom of worship is guaranteed to all other religions.
BAN all FOREIGN MISSIONARIES and Religious Non-Governmental Organizations from operating in Sri Lanka.
ENACT a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to DECLARE AS ILLEGAL the ALIENATION of Sri Lanka’s land and national assets through sale or long-term leases to Foreign Nations and Foreign Companies. Make majority ownership by Sri Lankan CITIZENS of real estate and financial and commercial institutions COMPULSORY in Sri Lanka.
DECLARE it ILLEGAL for FOREIGN CITIZENS to become heads of National Government Institutions, or for FOREIGN CITIZENS to become a MEMBER of ANY LEGISLATIVE BODY including the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of Government, including the Security Forces.
BROADEN, STRENGTHEN and STRICTLY ENFORCE TREASON LAWS of the country, making it HIGH TREASON PUNISHABLE BY DEATH to collaborate with foreign powers against the nation and to invite foreign powers to meddle and intervene in any internal political, financial, administrative, religious, judicial and law enforcement matters of Sri Lanka. No citizen of Sri Lanka may engage in such activity without the expressed written permission of the government.