{"id":68982,"date":"2017-08-16T17:24:51","date_gmt":"2017-08-17T00:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=68982"},"modified":"2017-08-16T17:24:51","modified_gmt":"2017-08-17T00:24:51","slug":"had-never-been-a-hubris-speaker-like-this-even-during-the-time-of-our-grand-parents-mp-wimal-weerawansa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2017\/08\/16\/had-never-been-a-hubris-speaker-like-this-even-during-the-time-of-our-grand-parents-mp-wimal-weerawansa\/","title":{"rendered":"had never been a hubris Speaker like this even during the time of our grand parents. \u2013 MP Wimal Weerawansa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Translated by : A.A.M.NIZAM \u2013 MATARA<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

The whole nation should be mustered together to fight against the federal constitution instead of launching bogus battles and in order to wage this battle as the initial step the white covering named the \u2018Constitution Council\u2019 enveloping the constitution formulation process should be removed and it was what his party carried out by withdrawing from the Constitution Council.<\/p>\n

This was stated by the leader of the National Freedom Front Parliamentarian Mr. Wimal Weerawansa delivering the keynote address of the people\u2019s seminar held at the auditorium of the \u2018Sambuddha Jayanthi Mandiraya\u2019 in Colombo under the caption Why we witdrew from the Constitution Formulation Process?\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking further in this seminar, he said that no one has received a mandate to bring forth a new constitution. The reason for organising this seminar was to widely enlighten the people and the nation about a political decision taken by us.\u00a0 On 18th<\/sup> August 2017 it will become 2 years since this government came into power. During these two miserable years they were only involved in fulfilling the needs and appreciations of the groups and cabals who helped to bring them to power. In order to carry out this process uninterruptedly they required to maintain a 2\/3 majority in the Parliament.<\/p>\n

In the General Election of 2015 the United National Party won only 106 seats. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party won 95 seats. No party was able to get the absolute majority of a minimum of 113 seats. Although it had been mentioned in the United National Party manifesto presented for the elections about a new constitution it did not get a mandate from the majority of the people.\u00a0 To get the mandate of the majority of the people the United National Party should have got a minimum of 113 seats or more in the Parliament.<\/p>\n

In the manifesto presented by Mr. Maithripala Sirisena for the 2015 Presidential Election it was mentioned that I will take steps to present a constitutional amendment that will not warrant for a referrundam.\u00a0 That was the camouflage used then to keep the executive prsidency preserved without getting it amended. Getting the Executive Presidency amended is a constitutional amendment that requires holding a referendum. But Maithripala Sirisena has come to power then pledging that he will not implement a constitutional amendment. Nevertheless it is quite clear even in the 2015 Presidential Election a mandate was not received for a full constitution amendment. The United People\u2019s Freedom Alliance asked for a mandate only to implement a constitution amendment that would not harm the basic foundations of Sri Lanka including the Unitary status, and territorial integrity.\u00a0 Accordingly it\u00a0 was clear that although it is being said that a mandate has been received to bring foth a new constitution such a mandate to bring forth a nww constitution an amendment has not been received by any of the parties.\u00a0 It is a damn lie to say that the \u2018mandate received for a new constitution should be enlivened\u2019.<\/p>\n

Although JVP changed Wimal\u2026\u2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How the Janathika Vimukthi Peramuna acted when the Mahanayake Theros of the Tri-Nikayas issued a joint statement emphasizing that a new constitution is not required by the country? One of their MPs said that although Maha Nayake theros have a right to issue sauch a statement but according to the mandate received by the government a new constitution should be bring forth.\u00a0 The JVP which we were in the past did everything possible including making divine offerings to defeat and force abandon the separatist constitution by the ex-President Mrs. Chandrike Kumaratunga under the name a package\u201d, We took the leadership in building a public opinion against it.\u00a0 Also we took the leadership to defeat it in the Parliament.\u00a0 The JVP slogan then was Don\u2019t bring forth a separatist constitution!\u201d But today their slogan has become Despite whatever is said by Mahanayake Theros, bring forth soon the separatist constitution!\u201d\u00a0 That is the change that has taken place. There has not been a change of political opinion between the then Wimal Weerawansa and the present Wmal Weerawansa. We said then and we say now Fold up the separatist constitution\u201d All these people are attempting to show that they have received a mandate despite lack of such a mandate to offer a clean slate to that impure act.<\/p>\n

Making the danger cold to a thin level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Similarly the government can bring forth a new constitution as the governing pary if they wish so.\u00a0 Despite having had discussions with the United National Party, the package\u201d was brought forth as a new draft Constitution Bill.\u00a0 But when the UNP opposed for it and burnt it within the Parliament it lost the 2\/3rd<\/sup> anticipated majority. It is to give it a purity status that the government is attempting today to label it as a work of the whole Parliament.\u00a0 That is why all those Ministers and the members who visit the Mahanayake Theros tell them \u2018this is not being done by the solitary opinion of the government, it is being done by everyone in the Parliament on a joint basis, and therefore there is no possibility that it could become dangerous.\u2019 What happens here is making the danger of this impure act thinned to a cold nature.\u00a0 To provide a clean status to this abhorrent act the government is hanging the name board saying that the whole Parliament has been made as the Constitutional Council.\u00a0 On the other hand that the government will become possible to present it argument as that all the 225 members of the Parliament jointly as a Constitution Council prepared the draft Bill for the new constitution when it is challenged before the Courts.\u00a0 The government is trying to get a clean status under this way as well.<\/p>\n

The Drama will continue up to its end<\/strong>\u2026.<\/p>\n

Now this abhorrent process of making Parliament as a constitution council has come forward on a long process. It has come forward to the status of Prime Minister Ranil Wckremasinghe submitting an interim draft of this federal constitution to the steering committee of the constitution council. It was in July 19th that the 5 Parliamentarians of the National Freedom Front officially withdrew from the Constitution Council expressing their objection to this process and wholeheartedly acknowledging the opinions expressed by the Maha Sangha.\u00a0 But we had to wait for sometimes to hold a public seminar like this.<\/p>\n

That was because of this government\u2019s drama scenes unveiled during the last few days.\u00a0 The former Finance Minister who didn\u2019t own the Central Bank resigned while the Prime Minister who owned the Central Bank remained as a \u2018burgler cat\u2019.\u00a0 It was because of the Treasury Bond Scam Mr. Ravi Karunanayake has resigned.\u00a0 Now any thief can resign from his or her post and get freed from the Law.\u00a0\u00a0 It is in vain that Sakvithi Ranasnghe went to jail.\u00a0 He could have resigned.\u00a0 All these are episodes of the drama of fooling the public. Ravi Karunanayake\u2019s last batch of officials remains intact.\u00a0 He still has the official vehicles.\u00a0 Only the salary entitled for the Minister post he has lost.\u00a0 He does not feel this loss.\u00a0 We have got an opportunity to discuss with you because, other than this Aloysius, there are other Aloysiuses in this government, and the central challenge of this allegations have come to the last episode of this drama.\u00a0 .<\/p>\n

The two contracts entrusted on January 8th<\/sup>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

What are they going to do?. This government came to power due to the mediation of the Tamil diaspora, powerful western powers and India.\u00a0 Therefore this government has become a puppet before them.\u00a0 This government has become obliged to go towards the direction of realization of the dream of the Tamil diaspora. The dream of the Tamil diaspora is to get the establishment of a separate State including the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka achieved. It was the dream Velupillai Prabhakaran attempted to get realized by the use of weapons.\u00a0 It is the dream that the Tamil separatists have not abandoned so far.\u00a0 In order to get that dream realized this government was entrusted with two tasks.<\/p>\n

One is to prove that \u2018war crimes did take place in Sri Lanka during the war period\u2019.\u00a0 This has to be proved by any form of a Court system.\u00a0 The second task was to create an acceptable self rule system for the Tamil people.\u00a0 This is the contract that the Sirisena-Ranil Junta accepted on January 8th<\/sup> of 2015.<\/p>\n

This government is now carrying out the implementation of these two contracts.\u00a0 What they do by transforming the whole parliament as a constitution council is the formulation of that self-rule task.\u00a0 The Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickrmasinghe had presented to the steering commit of the constitution council a draft new constitution.\u00a0 Although it was presented as a draft of the steering committee it was a draft prepared outside.\u00a0 The joint opposition members in the constitution council Messrs Dinesh Gunawardene and Presanna Ranatunga pointed ou that in writing and expressed their strong opposition to it.<\/p>\n

What you have in Ranil\u2019s constitution Draft?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the constitution draft prepared outside and presented by Ranil Wickremasinghe has several alternatives for the Unitary Status concept.\u00a0 It also states how the provincial councils will be comprised.\u00a0 Accordingly the concurrent list will be abolished.\u00a0 Most of the powers listed in the concurrent list will be handed over to the provincial councils. The Central Government will abandon those powers.\u00a0 It says that the legislative powers, the powers to formulate or introduce Laws or constitutional powers will be vested not only with the parliament but with provincial governments as well.\u00a0 This draft has made recommendations to absorb the Government Agents, Provincial Secretaries, Grama Niladhari Officers, including the public servants fully to the Provincial Government Service and to handover provincial services to the relevant provincial governments.\u00a0 Not only that, the Police powers and Land powers would be fully vested with Provincial Administrations.\u00a0 Similarly it is planned to vest Fiscal powers, and the powers to negotiate and obtain loan assistance from overseas will also be entrusted to Provincial Administrations.<\/p>\n

Although under the existing constitution the sovereignty of the people can only be vested with the 225 members and the President who will get elected by the franchise of the people, this draft says that the Provincial Councils will also be vested with the sovereign power. Accordingly Provincial Councils will also become an institution vested all the triple powers of sovereignty such as institutions vested with executive, legislative, and judicial powers.\u00a0 If that is done it will not become necessary to have a separate State.\u00a0 It is to provide all these things that this basic draft has proposed.\u00a0 Some people say that still the Constitution Baby has not been born.\u00a0 But it is possible to guess about the child to be born when you look at the father and the mother.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that the constitution formulated by federalists such as Ranil Wickremasinghe, Jayampathi Wickremaratne together with Sambandans will definitely be a Federal Constitution. The whole parliament under the nameboard of Cnstitutional Council is attempting to formulate a constitution that could grant a self rule territory to the Tamil people including the Northern and Eastern provinces.<\/p>\n

As per the international law if a new country is to be created from an existing country it should satisfy two conditions.\u00a0 One condition is that the people in a certain area of that country had been subjected to human rights crimes from the other people of that country.\u00a0 That means there should have been genocide and war crimes.<\/p>\n

The second condition is that the said ethnic community had held a self rule in a certain territorial area.\u00a0 It is this self rule territorial requirement that Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe is attempting to create through the so-called new constitution. Under the present conditions it cannot be said that they were having a self rule in the northern and eastern provinces for a considerable period.\u00a0 That is why the Tamil diaspora in order to get that condition created provided their support to establish this puppet government.\u00a0\u00a0 .<\/p>\n

The Ambassador in Sri Lanka of the United States which made all attempts to halt the war and rescue the terrorist leaders and that always appreciated the separatist, chauvinist Tamil diaspora \u2018it is happy note that a process of formulating a new constitution has been launched\u2019. What they say as their happiness is our unhappiness.\u00a0 That also shows that the new constitutional process is something that would satisfy the separatists, their stooges and something that is being undertaken as per their needs.<\/p>\n

Postponing of Elections<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

There was a possibility of presenting to the parliament the process of revision to the constitution to bring forth a self rule required by the Tamil separatists and chauvinists as the 20th<\/sup> amendment to the constitution.\u00a0 But Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe has now presented as the 20th<\/sup> amendment to the constitution a revision to the constitution with provisions to postpone Provincial Council Elections. If that happened this constitutional amendment for establishing a federal constitution will be presented as the 21st<\/sup> amendment to the constitution.<\/p>\n

This government by postponing local government elections for the last two years has made the country as a hospital.\u00a0 These people who gave thousand talks\u201d about democracy is now finding ways and means to postpone elections. While bringing forth Acts to send War Heroes to gallow, and whilst formulating federal constitutions this government is recently making a robbery equivalent to an onion peel\u201d.<\/p>\n

The trousers of independent commissions have been removed<\/strong><\/p>\n

The trousers of the independent commissions the members of this yahaapalana government appointed saying as a move to strengthen democracy including for sectors such as election, Police, and public service have been removed.\u00a0 Although there is an independent elections commission there are no elections. Despite there is an independent Police Commission, the Chief of the Police and his colleagues twists the Law to suit their needs and high ranking politicians.\u00a0 Just see that in respect of the murder of the Jaffna student Vidya an IGP of the Police has also been arrested on suspicion. But the United National Party parliamentarian Mrs. Vijayakala Maheswaran against whom there are video clip proofs of evidence relating to freeing the main suspect of that murder without allowing him to be taken into Police custody still remain at\u00a0 large.\u00a0 For her the Law is being twisted the way she wants.\u00a0 Although there is an independent Public Service Commission this government is taking political revenge in an unprecedented manner from the public servants.<\/p>\n

Incidents of twisting the Law are being recorded in our Black Book.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under a government which said that they will \u2018put a halt to intoxicants\u2019 narcotics and poisonous drugs are being spread throughout the country very fast.\u00a0 Large consignments of poisonous drugs such as heroine, cocaine, and hasheesh are being confiscated.\u00a0 No one knows what happened to these confiscated drugs.\u00a0 A cabinet sub-committee has been appointed to look into this matter as well. High level political mediations are involved in all these aspects.\u00a0\u00a0 If the telephone conversation records between IGP Pujitha Jayasundera and the Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera were investigated comprehensively it can be found how the relevant Minister got his Public Relations Officer safeguarded and acquitted from narcotic peddling charges.\u00a0 We would like to tell these people who are twisting the Law that we will record these Law twisting events in our \u2018Black Book\u2019 and through a future government action will be taken against all such events of Law twisting.<\/p>\n

As per the historical traditions of this country, we cannot go against the opinions of the Mahanayake Theros of the tri-Nikayas.\u00a0 In this country, the Maha Sangha was always above the King and the people. It is by profusely understanding the enormity and the danger of the act of formulating a new constitution that they issued a joint statement saying that \u2018the country does not need a new constitution at this moment\u2019.\u00a0 They by that statement admonished this government not to plunge the country to such a danger.\u00a0 While wholeheartedly accepting this admonition and clearly understanding that the disadvantageous are more than the advantageous we quit ourselves from this constitution making process. As per the proposal adopted by the parliament the constitutional council formulating the new constitution should comprise all the 225 members represented in the parliament.\u00a0 With our withdrawal from this Constitution Council the validity of the Council itself has come under challenge.\u00a0 But this truth that can be accepted by all and sundry is not acknowledged by the Speaker.\u00a0 As per the legal advice said to have been received by him the quitting of the 5 NFF members from the Constitutional Council process is not making any impact to its legal validity.\u00a0 This type of a hubris Speaker has never been in this country even in the periods of our grand parents.\u00a0 He is acting only in accordance with the requirements of the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n

The locquacious talks made by this government about its independent nature have now ceased.\u00a0 Today the Ministers and the members of the government are criticising the Minister of Justice Mr. Wijedasa Rajapaksa asking why he did not imprison Rajapaksas by influencing the Attorney General\u2019s Department. We have withdrawn from the Constitution Council and have fulfilled our responsibility.\u00a0 That is not sufficient.\u00a0 This is a time that the whole country must get together and launch a massive opposition against the federal constitution amendment. If that happens only, we will be able to safeguard the roots of our historical traditions.\u00a0 The impure forces t hat brought this government into power are attempting to terminate the progressive march of this nation.\u00a0 Therefore the whole nation should be mustered against the federal constitution instead of engaging in bogus struggles.\u00a0 If that is to be achieved we must smash the constitutional council that veils the process formulating the federal constitution.\u00a0 It is that we did.\u00a0 We pray that the other political parties that love this country will also decide to do so.<\/p>\n

The welcoming speech of this seminar was delivered bu the NFF Politbureau member Parliamentarian Udayashanta Gunasekera. (niz)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Translated by : A.A.M.NIZAM \u2013 MATARA The whole nation should be mustered together to fight against the federal constitution instead of launching bogus battles and in order to wage this battle as the initial step the white covering named the \u2018Constitution Council\u2019 enveloping the constitution formulation process should be removed and it was what his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aamnizam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68982\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}