By Wimal Dheerasekera
(Lanka-e-News - 02.Nov.2017, 6.30AM) It is a well and widely known fact it is after garnering views of all the parties in parliament and the people’s opinions in pursuance of a long process , an official methodology was evolved after two long years to introduce a new constitution for the country , and the Constitution formulating steering committee tabled an interim report on the new constitution in parliament. Unbelievably it is while this interim report has been tabled , the president Maithripala is resorting to dubious and devious moves to delay it unheeding his promises and pledges .
That is , by claiming fresh proposals shall be sought in regard to the interim report of the constitution formulation steering committee , president Maithripala has announced three conferences shall be convened with the participation of all religions , another with the participation of all parties and the third with representatives of the country’s intelligentsia.
The president made this announcement when addressing the National dialogue for co existence and government’s languages ministry’s national convention held at the Sugathadasa Indoor stadium on 30 th.
It is significant to note the Constitution formulation steering committee forwarded its interim report only after discussions with all the parties , all religious organizations , all Civil Organizations as well as the people across the country which included the intelligentsia, and securing their opinions. The views of the intelligentsia were also gathered along with those of the people.
In the interim report tabled in parliament, all these are clearly mentioned. Therefore talking about holding conferences of all parties and all religions to resolve the national issue by Sirisena in the same way as from the period of Late J.R. Jayawardena is absolute lunacy , absurdity and folly. It is like putting into the mud what was cleansed , over and over again.
In the circumstances , it is very evident president Maithripala is seeking to take the masses for a ride by impeding the introduction of the new constitution which aims at abolishing the executive presidency. To bear out this accusation there are cogent and copious evidence . Some of those are hereunder…
The interim report of the constitution formulation steering Committee was held back so long because of the delays caused by the SLFP (whose president is none other than Maithripala Sirisena ) to make its proposals ..It was only after a deadline was set that before 30 th August the proposals shall be handed over , the SLFP submitted the proposals.
It is a matter for deep regret the SLFP wantonly dilly dallied for 6 long months with such an important national issue. What was even more astonishing and sinister : in those proposals which were inordinately delayed it was stated the executive presidency shall be retained . It is well to recall the SLFP since 1978 , the time Late J.R Jayawardena introduced the executive presidency, has been vehemently opposing the executive presidency. But strangely the present SLFP proposal is for continuance of the executive presidency .
President Maithripala nevertheless continues to tell every leader of Civil Organizations , those proposals are not his and are of the committee headed by Nimal Siripala appointed by the SLFP . In any case to those leaders he says his promise to abolish the executive presidency is still tenable though it is very evident even to the most obtuse those are clearly double tongued utterances of his to pull the wool over the eyes of those leaders .
We make this justifiable allegation because the SLFP committee forwarded its proposals to president Maithripala to take the final decision – that is ,he was given the opportunity to change those . Yet what was submitted to the Constitution steering committee was the list of proposals of Nimal Siripala headed SLFP proposals without changes , meaning that it is no less a person than Maithripala the president of the country himself and none else who wants the executive presidency to be perpetuated.
This despicable and deplorable turnaround of Maithripala is clearly contradicting his solemn and categorical cardinal promise made by him on 2015-01-08 to the masses that he would abolish the executive presidency . This sly and hypocritical move of the president is tantamount to shamelessly not only betraying but even scorning the people on whose votes he came to power.
Needless to say , all the Civil Organizations and political parties got together with Sirisena prior to 2015-01-08 to make him the common presidential candidate based on one and only one condition – that the executive presidency shall be abolished by him within 100 days of his coming to power.
All leaders of political parties and civil organizations who agreed and those who even did not concur in it would bear witness to this . Hence , the sole purpose of electing the common candidate as president was with that end in view – abolition of executive presidency. While all the other matters like Independent Commissions came under the purview of the Parliament , the sole and whole task of the president , the common candidate was to abolish the executive presidency to which he consented , and to ensure its abolition. The other parties to the agreement had no interest or intention to become presidents through Maithripala nor did they agree to such a thing.
The rude shock however came , when the first dubious and diabolic move was made by Maithripala Sirisena after becoming the president, that is dodging the solemnly promised task of abolition of the executive presidency within 100 days. Colluding with the JHU discards, and the crooks who joined the SLFP Maithri group , he gave mischievous twists to the meaning of ‘abolition of executive presidency’ , by saying ‘ it is not abolition of executive presidency but abolition of executive powers.’ While pointing that out , the clauses pertaining to undertakings given to the people in the manifesto were also distorted by Mathripala, and through the 19 th amendment he ensured the executive presidency shall be continued.
By taking cover behind his party and using that as a defense , president himself is now proposing that the executive presidency shall be continued without abolishing it thereby brazenly dishonoring his pledges and promises made to the people on 2015-01-08. This is most despicable, disgraceful , traitorous, treacherous and isn’t this tantamount to duping the people wholesale ?
1. Interestingly ,President Maithripala was so guilty of his gross betrayals and double speaks , that after selecting 11 th October to meet with the representatives of the 48 civil organizations which extended support to him on 2015-01-08 , he finally cancelled the meeting , obviously because the president knew he will not be able to answer the questions that will be posed by them .
2. President Maithripala who has realized the wonderful taste of the corrupt executive power is aware if the new constitution is introduced , the executive presidency will be abolished undoubtedly , in which event the current illicit amassment of wealth by his son in law and daughter would have to stop . Therefore what he did was made ‘procrastination the thief of time’ his friend and not foe to delay the new constitution to serve his selfish interests to the detriment of most paramount national interests .
After the interim report was tabled in parliament ,his first move was , getting around the Anunayaka Theras, and inducing them to make a statement ‘a new constitution is unnecessary at this juncture’. Behind this manipulation was none other than the president himself, and it was he who was behind the front page publicity in that regard given via the newspapers. The writer is revealing these based on concrete evidence . It was the media personnel of the relevant newspapers covering the president’s events who gave those instructions. Of course they carry out whatever orders issued by the president.
Further evidence testifying to this is , the announcement made by Athureliya Rathane , advisor to the president . Athureliya said in the second round ,‘ at this moment a new constitution is not needed’ . It is common knowledge Maithripala and Rathane are inseparable like the corroded bolt and nut .
The only vital question that can be asked from this evil duo is ’ if this is not the time when will it be ?’ ‘ Is it after another war ?’
3. The statement made by Wimal Weerawansa in the second round that if the constitution is adopted the parliament should be bombed is also most pertinent and ominous. It cannot be forgotten Weerawansa made this statement after his meeting with president Maithri .
Keheliya Rambukwella who was all these days silent without making any controversial statements , following Weerawansa’s portentous announcement said , ‘not one , a hundred bombs must be hurled at the parliament.’
Keheliya helped Maithri on the sly during the last presidential elections to make him president , and raised 50 million rupees which was given to Maithri. As a reciprocal gesture , Maithri took steps to suppress the fraud and corruption charges against Rambukwella. The FCID and CID officers must be aware which are those cases. Who is behind Keheliya’s sudden loquacity after being silent this long is also no secret. What is most irksome and worrisome is the president despite being the highest in the hierarchy remaining deaf ,dumb, blind and heedless to the ominous threats made by two UPFA members Weerawansa and Rambukwella that the parliament shall be bombed.
4. In the midst of all these muddling up and mischief making , Maithripala Sirisena attended the pinkama of an inveterate hardcore racist Medagoda Abayatissa. The president tried to portray this was a strategy to control Abayatissa ,but in fact that was an absolute unalloyed pretense. Leaders who are anti racial will not attend conventions along with racists, because racism can be fought and conquered . On 2015-01-08 , the masses clearly proved even the racists possessing State power, wealth and media backing can be defeated . When that is the stark truth , why should the victors wielding State power , wealth and media backing today attend the conventions of defeated, deflated and discarded racists ? This is obviously a ploy to obstruct the new constitution and perpetuate the executive presidency using the racists and to continue enjoying the taste of obnoxious and corrupt executive powers.
5. The president making a sudden announcement as though he had fallen from the sky and speaking about conferences of all parties , all religions and the intelligentsia is his latest subterfuge .
The proposals of all religions have been received pertaining to the new constitution. The proposals of the intelligentsia have also been already received .Not only the all party proposals but even the proposals of the people are also stated in writing in the interim report . In the circumstances , there is no necessity at all to further procrastinate and waste time. When all the proposals have been submitted to the Constitution formulation steering committee , why hold some more all party conferences ? Surely the president cannot say he is afflicted with scabies at a naughty spot and therefore the incurable persistent itch is affecting his mental equilibrium .
It is the consensus what ought to be done now is , debate the subject in parliament and prepare the draft bill with a view to hold a people’s referendum to seek a two third majority . Towards that a powerful publicity program shall be put in place so that the people will be enlightened on it.
Instead of that by convening an all party conference based on guiles and guises , it is not only the parliamentary proceedings which will be overturned , but the people are also being confused whereby the introduction of the new constitution is being decelerated and further delayed.
Like how the SAITM issue which could have been resolved by courts , was driven into a pickle by the president holding ad hoc discussions, the new constitution too which can be resolved smoothly and lawfully via the parliament and a referendum is without any trace of doubt being befouled by the president by convening all party conferences which have no official status or common feature .
The time has arrived to those who are laboring under the delusion that Maithripala Sirisena is the president of good governance government since 2015-01-08, to divest themselves of that foolish self deceiving notion, for by now it is manifest he is a confirmed rascally rogue who excels in double speaks , double crossing and double deals. He is one who knows nothing about good and bad , let alone good governance.
Now that his faceless, policy less and unscrupulous nature is crystal clear , the time is now opportune to take direct measures to remove his mask ,and defeat his evil manipulations and sinister aspirations . The pro good governance masses of the victorious rainbow revolution of 2015 -01-08 must gear up to mete out the same treatment to him and Mahinda Rajapakse whom he portrays as an evil apparition . This is most imperative because Maithripala is so unscrupulous and evil personified that at a not so distant date , if only he can protect his position and perpetuate his obnoxious power he would join hands even with the worst lethal ,virulent anti national forces to sacrifice the nation and the country at the altar of his selfish rapacious power greedy aims and devilish ambitions. A cursory glance at his political antecedence clearly bear testimony to that .
If any politician is to think Maithripala Sirisena who had no sense of shame to do a villainous turnaround and contest elections under the nominations list of the racist forces by July 2015 just seven months after January 8th 2015 , will not repeat that after three years , he /she must be a two legged political ass.
Translated by Jeff
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by (2017-11-02 00:58:44)
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Thanks for further revealing what "hopper-eating" leadership are up to, however one can rest assured
that Mangala/CBK/RW will not let the people down after all their hard work. MS is wavering due to his
cohorts an family having a greedy agenda. Time will tell. A video in his own words the promise he
made re Executive Presidency will be a useful revelation.
-- by punchinilame on 2017-11-02