{"id":94965,"date":"2019-11-09T10:10:12","date_gmt":"2019-11-09T17:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=94965"},"modified":"2019-11-09T10:10:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-09T17:10:12","slug":"gota-phobia-part-viii-d-pad-mans-manifesto-is-a-carbon-copy-of-the-proposed-federal-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/11\/09\/gota-phobia-part-viii-d-pad-mans-manifesto-is-a-carbon-copy-of-the-proposed-federal-constitution\/","title":{"rendered":"GOTA PHOBIA \u2013 Part VIII D (Pad-man\u2019s manifesto is a carbon copy of the proposed Federal Constitution)"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The former President and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mahinda\nRajapaksa finding the danger being posed by the manifesto of the pad-man Sajith\nPremadasa and his total captivity to the terrorist TNA\u2019s plan to make this\ncountry a federal and secular state has issued the following message both in\nSinhala and English. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chapter on\nconstitutional reforms proposed in the manifesto of the UNP presidential\ncandidate contains provisions to replace the unitary state with a formulation\nthat describes Sri Lanka as an \u2018undivided and indivisible\u2019 state. This is\naccompanied by the pledge that governmental power will be devolved to the\nprovinces to the \u2018maximum extent possible\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identical provisions can be\nseen in the draft constitution tabled in Parliament by the Prime Minister in\nJanuary this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UNP manifesto also\ncontains provisions to expand the powers and functions of the provincial councils,\nto set up a second chamber in Parliament made up of provincial council\nrepresentatives in order to curb the powers of Parliament, to allow the\nprovincial units to raise funds independently, to place district and divisional\nsecretaries under the provincial councils and to create a Constitutional Court\nwhich will adjudicate in disputes between the center and the provincial units.\nLike the draft constitution, the UNP presidential election manifesto also aims\nto turn Sri Lanka into a loose federation of virtually independent provincial\nunits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The draft constitution\nsought to describe Sri Lanka as an \u2018ekeeya rajya\u2019 in Sinhala and as <\/p>\n\n\n\n

an  \u2018orumiththa nadu\u2019\nin Tamil while carefully refraining from using the English phrase \u2018unitary\nstate\u2019 which has specific constitutional connotations. Thus the label of a\nunitary state would have remained in Sinhala while in Tamil and English Sri\nLanka would no longer be recognized as a unitary state. A similar deviousness\nis to be seen in the UNP presidential election manifesto. Though great care has\nbeen taken to avoid using phrases like ekeeya rajaya or unitary state, it has a\nreference in Sinhala to \u2018maubime ekeeyathwaya\u2019 which translates into English as\n\u2018the unity of the motherland\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phrase \u2018maubime\nekeeyathwaya\u2019 has no constitutional value but it can be used to misleadingly\nsuggest to Sinhala readers that the manifesto seeks to uphold the unitary\nstate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran has rejected such devious and dishonest attempts to play around with words to convey different meanings to different persons. Significantly, the UNP manifesto has refused to use even the Sinhala phrase \u2018ekeeya rajya\u2019 that had been conceded earlier in the PM\u2019s draft constitution to assuage Sinhala sentiments. There is a clearly apparent hardening of the federalist position in the UNP manifesto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A federal arrangement will never work in this country because the majority of ethnic Tamils live outside the northern and eastern provinces and the vast majority of the Muslims live outside the east. Any attempt to impose a federal system on a country with such a demographic pattern will be fraught with serious consequences. Even the British colonial rulers never sought to dismantle the unitary state. The Donoughmore and Soulbury Commissions expressly rejected federalism.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UNP manifesto with its\ntoxic constitutional provisions was presented with much fanfare to the Venerable\nMahanayake and Anunayake Theras in order to deceive both the Maha Sangha and the\ngeneral public. This is the first time that a mainline political party has\nincluded in an election manifesto provisions to dismantle the unitary state and\nto create a federal state in its place. Therefore this is a matter that needs\nto be taken very seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the contents of the manifesto that has already been released, I earnestly request the Venerable Mahanayake Theras of the Three Nikayas to obtain from the UNP candidate, a written pledge to uphold the unitary state, to oppose federalism and to oppose all the proposals contained in the draft constitution tabled in Parliament by the Prime Minister earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that now let us now come\nto some other dangerous pledges or lapses in this Pad-man\u2019s manifesto a major\nportion of which has been understandably written by the terrorist proxy\nSumanthirsan.  Before proceeding we would\nlike to pose the question as to what has happened to the lawyers in the UNP for\nthem to become so captive to Sumanthiran? \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing a media conference held at the Pivithuru Hema Urumaya party office , Attorney at Law Mr. Udaya Gammanpila MP said that the pseudo-Buddhist and Qasi-Sinhalese Pa.Cha.Ramawaka has made a big bang saying that there is no mention of giving prime place to Buddhism in Mr. Gotabhaya\u2019s manifesto.\u00a0 Although this myopic sycophant could not notice it due to his personal enmity perhaps, it is clearly mentioned in two places such as on page 9 relating to the new constitution and on page 71 relating to the religion.\u00a0 Mr.Gammanpila has said that he is giving these details as he was involved in drafting chapters related to the constitution and the religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Gammanpila in return has\nchallenged Pa.Cha.Ranawaka to show him where in Sajith\u2019s manifesto it is\nmentioned about affording priority to Buddhism? He said that as per information\nhe has received that Pa.Cha.Ranawaka has also got involved in formulating\nSajith\u2019s manifesto and hence he asked to show wherein it is mentioned about\ngiving prominence to Buddhism?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking further, MP\nGammanpila said regardless of what is said in Mr. Gotabhaya\u2019s it is vital to\nmention about it in Sajith Premadasa\u2019s manifesto because it was the so-called\nyamapalana government in which Sajith Premadasa was a powerful Minister and the\nDeputy leader of the treacherous UNP that presented a constitution in the\nParliament to deny prominent place to Buddhism and it was Sumanthiran a\nco-author of Sajith\u2019s manifesto who spoke in the parliament on numerous\noccasions the need to make this country a secular state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Gammanpila pointed out\nthat not only over 70% of Buddhists in this country but Cardinal Dr. Malcolm\nRanjith and other religious leaders have opined that prominent place should be\ngiven to Buddhism in this country. \nTherefore, he said that they consider the lack of mentioning it as a\nserious lacuna in Sajith\u2019s manifesto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MP Gammanpila further stated that the ekeeya raajya mentioned in the Sinhala version of the manifesto was not available in the English version and it is mentioned only with the word \u2018unity\u2019.\u00a0 For a full explanation of the difference between \u2018ekeeya raajya\u2019 and \u2018unity please refer to Mr. Mahinda Rajaka\u2019s statement given at the beginning of this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further explaining the deficiencies and beguiling in the constitution, Mr. Gammanpila said that on page 16 of the constitution, it is mentioned under Power to the people \u2013 We would safeguard the unity of our motherland, territorial integrity, the sovereignty, and political independence.\u00a0 He said that the Sinhala presentation in this portion is erroneous, and it implies that no one with adequate knowledge of the Sinhala language has not been present when writing at least this segment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As English is their mother\ntongue of these reactionaries it has been presented in English appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And which reads as will protect the unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty and political Independence of our motherland.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa commenting on the statement issued by the terrorist TNA on their support to Sajith Premadasa has said that TNA chose the side that can fulfill their separatist demands. Speaking in a rally at Ratnapura, Mr. Rajapaksa said he has held neither parliamentary membership nor a ministerial position, but fulfilled the responsibility put on his shoulders. Referring to Sajith Premadasa\u2019s campaign promises, Mr. Rajapaksa said, it is unbelievably ridiculous to make such promises when he failed to fulfill them while holding a powerful ministerial post in the government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As per the latest intelligence unit reports it is predicted that out of the 22 districts, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be the winner in 16 districts and his opponent Mr. Sajith Premadasa will become successful in only 6 districts.\u00a0 This information has been disclosed by MP Kanchana Wijesekera, Matara district MP in a Twitter message today. (8th November).\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People of Polonnaruwa accorded a rousing welcome to\nDeputy Minister Mr. Wasantha Senanayake when he attended a Gota Rally that was\nbeing held at Polonnaruwa tody.  Eye\nwitness accounts said that Mr. Senanayake, the grandson of Sri Lanka\u2019s first\nPrime Minister and founder of the UNP Mr. D.S.Senanayake joined the rally with\na large number of UNPers who accompanied him to the rally.  In a message issued to media, prior to\nproceeding to Polonnaruwa, Mr. Samamayake has said that he will have no\npolitics with UNP even if Sajith Premadasa wins and that is a desert mirage.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has said that he could not further tolerate the hostility shown to him by the UNP,and he has no intention of continuing politics with the UNP and its existing members.\u00a0He has disclosed that several powerful UNPers including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa have telephoned me requesting not to quit the party and Minister Ravi Karunanayake and several others came to his residence to urge him not to leave the party.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides, Mr. Senanayake has shown video footage of MPs Rishard Badurdeen, Rauf Hakeem and M. A. Sumanthiran who came to his residence to persuade him to remain with UNP.\u00a0 These MPs who represented as party leaders urged him to remain in the UNP, and work with them as usual, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  
\nHe has said although he left the party, he would not quit from active politics\nand he doesn\u2019t think that the UNP\u2019s leadership would change in the next 10 to\n15 years and go back to the principles of his great grandfather late Prime\nMinister D.S. Senanayake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA The former President and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa finding the danger being posed by the manifesto of the pad-man Sajith Premadasa and his total captivity to the terrorist TNA\u2019s plan to make this country a federal and secular state has issued the following message both in Sinhala […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aamnizam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94965","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=94965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94965\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}