President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government will present the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as an urgent bill to Parliament next week to repeal provisions in the 13th amendment that permit the merger of one or more provinces, Media Minister and cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said today.
The cabinet of ministers that met today has decided to refer the second amendment proposed to a Parliamentary Select Committee that will be set up by the Speaker next week following stiff resistance to the moves by political parties within the ruling UPFA alliance.
Minister Rambukwella said the fresh PSC process would be time bound and speedy to ensure it did not interfere with or delay the provincial council elections scheduled for September in the North. The Minister said the Government believed the repeal of the demerger clause was critical because the merger of provinces could pose a threat to the authority of the central government. He said the UPFA was confident of obtaining the two thirds majority required to pass the constitutional amendment.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Socialist Alliance comprising the Communist party, the LSSP and the DLF led by Vasudeva Nanayakkara have officially opposed both proposals brought to the cabinet to dilute the provisions of 13A last week. The SLMC and the parties of the Old Left are unlikely to support the Government’s urgent bill to repeal the merger clauses, sources told Colombo Telegraph.
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The 13A: Joint Cabinet Memorandum Of Ministers DEW, Tissa And Vasu
R. Varathan / June 13, 2013
There is nothing to stop the illegitimate Rajapakse Government from passing this, or for that matter, any other Bill with most unprincipled MP’s and Ministers in their pay acting like robots. But will the step proposed bring the country any good. It looks like this misadventure can only place the Rajapakse family in a collision course with India, the USA and the UN. The Rajapakses are also sharpening their tools by placing the anti-minority BBS in front. If things go against the Family more than one incident of communal outbreaks will be let loose and the country will burn for a few weeks. Then the Rajapakses, as Tisaranee Gunasekera, pointed out several times will come forward as those who did the country a favour by putting off the fires. The Rajapakses may win the day – but the country will continue to go down the pallam.
Already, old and rich plantation families that held some of their assets in Banks are complaining the actual value of their funds are now down by 1/3rd and falling. That is the fate that will befall most who have their funds as savings.
R. Varathan
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Native Vedda / June 13, 2013
R. Varathan
“It looks like this misadventure can only place the Rajapakse family in a collision course with India, the USA and the UN.”
For the international community including India, USA, UN…. they in their own interest are forced to strike a balance between stability and democracy.
Don’t expect too much from them.
It appears USA/India have already struck a deal with the Clan.
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Ajith Kumara / June 14, 2013
Varathan
The truth known to all is that this amendment will increase MRs popularity not only in SL but also in the entire world as the number of enemies of US and India is also in the increase
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JimSofty / June 13, 2013
VASU:
He is still selling socialism for his livelihood ?
He is a Socialist and scream for poor while his children are studying in the USA ?
Tissa vitharana is a National List MP ?
There was another Gunasekara who left descendants who are all anti-Sri Lankan and anti-buddhist.
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Native Vedda / June 13, 2013
JimSofty
“There was another Gunasekara who left descendants who are all anti-Sri Lankan and anti-buddhist.”
Gunasekara must be very reasonable and decent person.
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DW / June 14, 2013
Jim….what does the children have to do with Vasu’s socialism? He cannot control his children they have their own lives….what you are proposing is authoritisem..They have to do what Vasu says whether they agree or not…. U.S.A is not all bad…after all there is a left movement in the U.S.A too that is embedded in the democratic party…
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Katmai / June 14, 2013
Bet that there will be a bunch of UNP Parliamentarians who will be willing to sell their votes for cabinet positions (even a deputy position).
I hope this time India would drop those “parippu” packets on the God damned Parliament itself. If you had any part of your brain working you would know that it is coming.
Stupid people recognize the value of a good thing only after they have lost it (quote me if you like). And Sri Lankans are about to loose it; BIG TIME!!!
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Manoharan / June 15, 2013
And Sri Lankans are about to loose it; BIG TIME
Loose what? The de-merger of the North and the East was done and dealt with in the era of CJ Sarath Silva. This 19th amendment is merely just putting the dots on the i’s and cutting the t’s so that a future government or PC can merge provinces only if they too can pull the tricks that the MR government has been able to do.
In my opinion, in 10 years the homogenization of the land would be complete, and all this is irrelevant.
However, Tissharanee Kunasekara and other should thank the govt for providing them with easy journalistic fodder for gaining their daily bread.
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Burt / June 14, 2013
“
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place. –
Mahatma Gandhi”
The govt might be able to buy enough votes but those voting for this amendment against their conscience will have to live with their decision. They are not only letting the minority down but also the country.
This shows the world the govt in Col cannot be trusted.
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Manoharan / June 15, 2013
What does conscience have to do with constitutions?
When the British arbitrarily divided up the provincial boundaries, it was
illogical and it cannot have a place in anybody’s conscience. Anton balasingham and others divided up the boundary in the Eelam map quite differently, and didn’t care about other types of division. The TNA rejects the 13th and the provincial divisions anyway.So, are you saying that they (and the present govt as well) have no coscience?
This is not an issue of conscience, but how to cut up the pie, or not cut it up at all.
Conscience depends on how your brain has been wired up.
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punchinilame / June 14, 2013
The record-holding double-speak Leader in the world will state anything
in the our situation and the plight of its Subjects will be Prayers.
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Muliyawaikkal / June 14, 2013
Just scrap this useless 13 amendment. If politicians can’t decide, put to the people in a referendum. People will teach them a lesson!
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Sunil Dahanayake / June 14, 2013
We do not need this useless 13the amendment. There are only a few groups or parties that support this 13th amendment. The parties that support this 13th amendment are people who want to divide the Sri Lanka into three separate states: namely, Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala.
I think that it is a good time to repeal or remove this 13th amendment.
Some Tamil parties are dreaming to create the Tamil Elam to continue the Prabakaran’s project. Some Sri Lankan Muslim parties counting the dates to create a Muslim District first and then to have a separate Muslim country later in the Eastern Province connecting a few patches or villages (or towns) in other parts in the Island.
The useless and rubbish old left parties do not have any vision to understand this pragmatic truth.
Most people blame MR for inefficiency and corrupt practices of the current government. However, this is the only government that has the power to remove this 13th amendment and unite Sri Lanka as one country. MR, whatever his weaknesses on good governance, has kept Sri Lanka intact and he understands the pragmatic truth that Sri Lanka is under threat from Muslim and Tamil separatism.
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Ramanan / June 15, 2013
Sunil writes: “The parties that support this 13th amendment are people who want to divide the Sri Lanka into three separate states: namely, Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala.”
Can you provide us with some evidence that the SLMC want to create an islamic state in Sri Lanka? By evidence I mean official statements, credible reports, public testimony etc. If you can’t- can we assume you are one of the thick-as-mince bodu sena supporters who occasionally make their presence felt on this forum and whom we easily identify by their lack of any coherent thoughts?
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hashini / June 14, 2013
Go sri lanka …we always help you. sir..not to fear about our motherland…, we have no person to develop our country.except you sir.other opposite parties never doing works like you sir…
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hashini / June 14, 2013
we are always with you really,as you defeated terrorist you can go ahead without any barriers,good luck my sri lanka.
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Ajith / June 14, 2013
It is surprise for some but it is happening. When LTTE was defeated it was surprise for some but it happened. In politics there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. The Western countries including US, Europe, and India decided to wipe out LTTE because LTTE thought they can do all it alone.They used the current regime to do this.
So, they allowed the current regime to utilize all means including massacre of civilians using banned weapons. They did it because they know at some point they need those evidences to put the current regime if the regime go against them. That is exactly happening now. The government fully rely on Sinhala extremism and China as a permanent allies will stand together for life. The current regime thought they can do whatever they like if they continue to maintain the ideology that minorities (Tamils and Muslims) are a threat to Sinhala Nation.
However, the current regime is now exposed to the world that they are behind the anti Tamil and anti muslim attack by all means. Land grabbing, power grabbing of Provincial Councils, attack on Hindu, Christian and muslim cultural establishments are the signs of deterioration of the countries normalcy. The regime things they can do all it alone and it could be a turning point in history.
We are used to surprises and it can happen any time! Within a decade of independence Sri Lanka experienced assassination of a Prime minister, mass murder of Tamils in the form riots and that trend continued throughout the life of six decades and there are no signs of that trend ending even after three decades of continued disaster and destruction. If this is the choice of people of Sri Lanka, who can stop this?
Lord Buddha, You are a laughing Buddha, all that happening is on your name.
You born in India and moved to this Nation for what?
To bring Peace? No
To bring suffering to this Nation?
You are silent. I know you are afraid to answer this question.
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shankar / June 14, 2013
I can’t understand why the SLMC is opposed to the demerger.Surely they do not want the east to merge with the north.So what is the other merger that they have in mind?I think this is a harmless repeal of a provision that is not valid now anyway because the north and east have been demerged and rightly so becauseif a referendum in the east was held as per the Indo lanka accord the easterners would have rejected merger.
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Anura / June 14, 2013
Constitutions in civilized countries are based on great principles taught by people like Aristotle, Plato who lived 2000 years back.
Laws are revised and improved by the legislators in parliaments in these civilized countries and we expect them to do so. But this many Constitutional changes … And again lot of constitutional ( not laws) changes as emergency changes. Even in the Information Technology (IT) field, constitutional changes like major changes never allowed to be an emergency change. These SL political administrators act more childish than technical people like us
Oh poor Sri Lankans !!
Anura
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Anura / June 14, 2013
A recent news article in SL said that a judge convicted two foreign prostitutes and ordered them to pay Rs: 10 (ten) each as penalty. I guess this Rs. 10 penalty should be in laws implemented by SUDDAS in late 19 century. Our legislators have no time to revise those old laws because they are so busy with Emergency Constitutional Changes.
Anura
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Manoharan / June 15, 2013
May be that is how the judge pre-paid a future
rend-des-vous. If the real fine is Rs 500, he has
already provided the girls Rs490.
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