The 20th Amendment on electoral reforms proposed by the SLFP will be submitted to the cabinet tomorrow, sources said. The presentation of 19th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament had been postponed until April 27 followed by a vote on April 28.
Read the full text of the SLFP proposals here.
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dcn / April 21, 2015
Some of the SLFP members of parliament are cutting their own grave and this may be the end of their politics. Their behaviour is to sbaotage the 19A amendment which means the president will hold all the powers as per the current constitution. He will be forced to use all those powers and you can see what will happen to all the rogues, thieves, rowdies around in the very near future.
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Off the Cuff / April 22, 2015
Dear dcn, Kumar David, Plato, Ajith and Sengodan,
All of you have valid points. The 19A is undoubtedly needed sans some obnoxious provisions that were outside the consensus arrived at before elections. RW rocked the boat by introducing party politics and ignoring the consensus without keeping in mind that his govt did not have the votes to carry any Constitutional amendment. Whether that was intentional is argumentative.
Chandrika made a similar mistake with her draft new constitution the UNP opposed.
The independent commissions are a national need, without which good governance would only be a dream with an all powerful Presidency.
But that is the 19A and this is about the 20A.
The need for delimitation exists as the number of electors per MP has very large Variations from electorate to electorate.
If in one electorate 50,000 voters get to elect one MP and in another electorate a 100,000 voters also get only one MP then democracy would become a mockery.
The worst provision in the 20A is ethnic segregation of electors.
Kind Regards
OTC
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Kumar David / April 21, 2015
I think the government is bending over endlessly and in the end will have its backside kicked. There would be a point in all this bashfulness if there was a reasonable chance of the SLFP majority voting in favour; but as Professor Laksiri F’do says elsewhere today these scum are manoeuvering and conspiring to sabotage 19A by hook or by crook. That is their sole objective, not the content of 19A nor electoral reform.
Dissolve NOW. Deny nomination to all SLFP and UPFA scum (Wimal, Dinesh and Vasu included) and go to the polls. Sirisena must sprout balls somehow and precipitate a crisis (even a split) in the SLFP and work out a practicable electoral agreement with the UNP, TNA, SLMC and JVP.
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Plato. / April 21, 2015
It should be Dissolve now.There is an Impeachment rumour doing the rounds.Only 75 Signatures are needed to be handed over to the Speaker.I may have jumped the gun;But anything is possible with the Rajapakses!
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Ajith / April 21, 2015
Rightly or wrongly President Sirisena has no option other than hold existing Presidential powers and make sure Mahinda cannot come back from back door or whatever means. Siresena should have now identified who are against to rule of law and who are trying to create a bloodbath in this soil. Get rid of all those weeds and poisonous pests that will destroy the future of this island. The justice system should work fastly and hurriedly to save the nation.
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Sengodan. M / April 22, 2015
There is definitely some attempt to sabotage the 19A. The government should act quickly, wisely and firmly to avert the sabotage before it is too late. Dissolving the parliament could be a quick step in the correct direction.
Sengodan. M
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Lankan / April 22, 2015
It’s now time for the intelligent people of the country to take to the streets of Colombo to condemn the Rajapakse group and it’s supporters and show that there are citizens willing to fight for their rights.
It’s also up to the President to show strong and inspirational leadership
and go it alone if need be. No more alliances with
the dirty rotten politicians of Sri Lanka please. It’s time to teach them a lesson.
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Plato. / April 22, 2015
Off the cuff.
Ethnic segregation of electors is a reality in the demographic reality of the country.
Hugh Cleghorn,the First Colonial Secretary,to the British Governor in 1799 had this to say.
Two different nations,from a very ancient period,had divided between them the possession of the Island. First the Cinhalese[sinhalese] inhabiting the interior of the country,in its southern and western parts,from the River Wallowe to that of Chilaw,and secondly the Mlabars[Tamils] who posses the northern and eastern districts. These two nations differ entirely in their religions,language and manners…
Frankly,I am not in favour of two nations; But, Minority communities need to articulate their their political needs and as such the realistic position is to have ethnic segregation of electors. We could still have unity in diversity!
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Off the Cuff / April 23, 2015
Dear Plato,
Hugh Claighorn’s eighteenth century observation powers are questionable. He has not noticed the Vedda or the Moors.
There are much more authentic and antiquated historical records that destroys the credibility of Claighorn. Robert Knox published his book in 1681. Robert Knox lived here for about 20 years and his observations are 125 years OLDER to Claighorn’s superficial observations.
According to Robert Knox the Malabars paid taxes to the King of Kandy for the land they occupied. He makes a distinction of the Natural subjects and the Malabars. The Moors did not have any land. The Sinhalese are described as the “Natural proper people” of the Island. He includes the Veddas to the Native group and say that the Vedda spoke Sinhala. (please see extracts from his book under the references)
However Genetic evidence indicates the present Lanka Tamils are not related to South Indian Tamils but are related to the Sinhalese. Thus the Lanka Tamils may be Tamil speaking Sinhalese.
The East was NEVER possessed by Tamils. They were taken by the Colonials from the Sinhalese.
Knox says Kuttiar, Baticoloa and Trinco were taken by the Dutch from the Kandyan King WHILE HE WAS HERE.
Sujit Sivasundaram in his book “Islanded: Britain, Sri Lanka, and the Bounds of an Indian Ocean Colony”, also confirms the following five ports were under the King of Kandy. Kalpitiya and Puttalam on the west coast and Trincomalee, Kottiyar, and Batticaloa on the east coast. (please see under references)
Then we have a Record in the Dutch National Archive that says
quote “During the 17th century the Company was engaged in a war of attrition with the king of Kandy”….unquote
Dutch ruled the former Jaffna Kingdom in the 17th century.
They were at war with the Sinhala Kingdom of Kandy.
quote “There was a narrow tongue of land at Elephant Pass a fort was built to guard the border with the king’s territory” unquote
They built a fort at Elephant Pass.
It guarded the BORDER of the Jaffna Kingdom from the Sinhala Armies. That BORDER was WITH the Kandyan King’s Territory.
Thus on one side of the BORDER was the Dutch occupied Jaffna Tamil Kingdom and on the other side the Kandyan Kingdom of the Sinhalese.
Re “Minority communities need to articulate their their political needs”
Minority communities live all over the island and segregation of voters will not serve that purpose. However in areas where the minorities are in a majority they can form their own local (provincial) govt but after removal of UNINHABITED PUBLIC land (not private land) that is in excess of the needs of that population, by delimitation.
In the old days ALL Land was the property of the King. Now All Public Land is the property of ALL citizens. It is the Birthright of All and should be used for the benefit of all.
———-
References
quote from Sujit Sivasundaram’s book “Islanded: Britain, Sri Lanka, and the Bounds of an Indian Ocean Colony”
“The Kandyans had control over five ports at the time that the Dutch succeeded the Portuguese on the coastal belt in the seventeenth century: these were Kalpitiya and Puttalam on the west coast and Trincomalee, Kottiyar, and Batticaloa on the east coast (fig. 2.11.6 Each of these ports was linked to a particular segment of the Kandyan kingdom”
unquote
Robert Knox in his book says
“Besides the Dutch who possess, as I judg, about one fourth of the Island, there are Malabars, that are free Denizons and pay duty to the King for the Land they enjoy, as the Kings natural Subjects do; there are also Moors, who are like Strangers, and hold no Land, but live by carrying goods to the Sea-Ports, which now are in the Hollanders hands. The Sea-Ports are inhabited by a mixt people, Malabars and Moors, and some that are black, who profess themselves Roman Catholicks, and wear Crosses, and use Beads. Some of these are under the Hollander; and pay toll and tribute to them.
But I am to speak only of the natural proper People of the Island, which they call Chingulays.”
“Of these Natives there be two sorts, Wild and Tame. I will begin with the former. For as in these Woods there are Wild Beasts so Wild Men also. The Land of Bintan is all covered with mighty Woods, filled with abundance of Deer. In this Land are many of these wild men; they call them Vaddahs, dwelling near no other Inhabitants. They speak the Chingulayes Language.”
These ly to the Westward that follow, Oudipollat, Dolusbaug, Hotteracourly, containing four Counties; Portaloon, Tuncourly, containing three Counties; Cuttiar. Which last, together with Batticalaw, and a part of Tuncourly, the Hollander took from the King during my being there. There are about ten or twelve more un-named, next bordering on the Coasts, which are under the Hollander. All these Provinces and Counties, excepting six, Tammanquod, Vellas, Paunoa, Hotteracourly, Hotcourly, and Neurecalava, ly upon Hills fruitful and dwell watered: and therefore they are called in one word Conde Uda, which signifies, On top of the Hills, and the King is styled, the King of Conde Uda.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / April 23, 2015
What’s this? Contemporary historical records? No thanks, We Thamizh are going to stick with blog posts by ‘Thivya’ on ‘Lanka newspapers.com’, mmmk :D
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Plato. / April 23, 2015
Off the cuff.
Thanks.V.Admirable presentation;But,by no means off the cuff! A studious piece to suit a particular line of thought.
Anyway,lets not stray away from the existing ground situation and the 20thA.
Cheers.
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