The increasing momentum in the civil society for calls to abolish Sri Lanka’s Executive Presidency marked a milestone today, as politicians representing various opposition parties participated in the launch of the ‘Road Map’ to abolish the Executive Presidential System and reactivate the 17th amendment by the National Movement for Social Justice headed by Maduluwawe Sobhitha thera.
The event that was held today was attended by the most unlikely of figures to convene together to which included former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka, TNA leader R. Sampanthan, TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran, JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi and the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake.
With just months left for the next Presidential elections, Maduluwawe Sobhitha thera who is rumoured to be the most likely Common candidate at the upcoming elections said, “The present constitution is being rejected by the masses each day and the calls to abolish the Executive Presidency have been made not just by politicians but also religious leaders due to the increasing crises that have plagued the country due to unlimited political power being concentrated in the hands of a single individual.”
Senior legal practitioner and constitutional law expert Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne speaking of the ‘Road Map’ that was launched today said they are not calling for mere promises of abolishing Executive Presidency, but for a system where the newly elected President should abolish the Executive Presidential system within six months of being elected.
“A legal draft of the proposed plan should be presented instead of simply including it in the election manifesto of the Common Candidate,” he said adding a ‘rainbow alliance’ needs to be established in order to effectively implement the ‘Road Map’ as planned.
Meanwhile, Head of Department of Law – University of Peradeniya Dr. Deepika Udagama speaking on Constitutional amendments and the Executive Presidency said there is no argument on the fact that Executive Presidency should be abolished and added as for constitutional reforms, she is strictly against ‘tinkering with the constitution’.
“There is a need for effective Constitutional changes to be implemented upon consultation with the masses, instead of the amendments remaining the exclusive subject of the people’s representatives,” she said.
Saman / July 26, 2014
Yes we need a collective support from all opposition parties, all trade unions, student movements, womens movements, teachers and university dons, all enterpreneurs, diaspora community, all religious groups and religious leaders, all armed forces,etc,etc, to kick out this Greedy, power hungry monster out.
The greedy pig mahasona will use all his powers,thugs,coolies, slaves,gimmicks, country’s wealth, police and armed forces, judiciary, election commission, all media, all finances etc,etc, available to supress opposition parties and win elections.
Therefore for the opposition parties it’s going to be a tough and a big effort and a lot of planning, vision, financial support, mass communication, advertising and collective action needed to win next presidential elections.
Great start by Rev.Sobitha Thero and hope all the best brains will join with their best strategies to take back power from the corrupt dictator.
Remember only united we win and divided we fall. Only a united opposition common candidate could win the next presidential elections.
Good luck.
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Hameed / July 26, 2014
What I fear is they will place a legal impediment in Ven. Sobitha
thero’s way. The entire judicial system is with the MR so this is not impossible.
r
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kris / July 26, 2014
Bunch of people who lost their destiny
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paul / July 26, 2014
“Ya Deka Noratha Ratha; Ekata Pasimak Netha” ( The two wheels of a cart never meet in its journey)
My sinhala teacher gave a different interpretattion to this. According to him noratha means non-red.
i.e Two ends one red and other not red would not fuse with one another.
http://pdfs.island.lk/2008/04/16/m2.pdf
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paul / July 26, 2014
And yet another meaning I found is no-ratha means not hot and “ya” is shortened for yakada (iron) . Hence this could be saying Two iron pieces, one hot and other cold can not be welded, that they both need to be hot (ratha) to do so.
In other words, only like minded people will form lasting bonds (or associations).
The history tells us these are no like-minded folks.
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Leelage Bappa / July 26, 2014
‘Hemaniyang kaleta wathura lebenawa’
Go and have a Sinhala literature class elsewhere.
If you wish to comment comment to the topic or piss off and praise Mara & Gota with Lorenzo at Sangili Panikkiya Wimalasema’s LankaWEB.
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paul / July 27, 2014
“The history tells us these are no like-minded folks”.
If you can not comprehend what i said above is relevant to the topics, you are out of your depths Leelage mahage and it is time you join a discussion forum more aligned to your intellect….
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Chedi / July 26, 2014
“The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin”
-bob dylan
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Ali Baba Sabry / July 26, 2014
All useless basket cases.Each one now trying hard to cling to each other for support for their own personal gain. To hell with the welfare of the country.
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Sujeewa Devarani / July 26, 2014
Maara smile Aney. Are they ceramic or porcelain teeth?
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Ram / July 26, 2014
Whatever happened to the first ‘Common candidate’, the Northern Province chief Minister.? What made him ineligible ? Was it his singing the praises of the LTTE and Prabhakaran ?
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whywhy / July 26, 2014
The perfect answer to the creation of Buddhist racism
is,Ven Maduluwave for the presidency.The whole North
and East and true Sinhala Buddhists and scattered
Muslims.Another chance for the country to say loudly
that we hate communalism.
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Sellam / July 26, 2014
Why did the two TNA hypocrites who claim to be the representatives of the Tamils attend this meeting. Shameless Sampanthan and his assistant Sumanthiran have another agenda and are cheating the Tamil masses. Don’t they know that it was during the UNP regime that Vali-North was carpet bombed and the residents were chased out of Vali North and many people died in the Arial bombardment. Still those people are not resettled and not allowed to go to their lands. President or no president is not the current criteria for the Tamil people. The present criteria is for the Tamil people to decide whether to stay in or out of Sri Lanka as no Sinhala leadership is not going to power share with the Tamils. The time is running fast and your life is short.
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Selwyn / July 26, 2014
We are expecting SL to be the “Miracle of Asia”.
Now these ‘Nuts – Opposition Politicians and Probable Common Presidency Candidates’ have awoken.o
After allowing insanity to prevail since May 29, 2009, it took these dormant leaders so long to wake up.
Oops! Obviously there is international support hence it is an International Conspiracy ??????
Oops again! Will Modawansa & Chimpika R join the ‘Nuts’ ??????
Bloody Bull Shit ( BBS )
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BBS Rep / July 29, 2014
These disparate politicians coming together to beat the god king MaRa reflects the desperations of the situation.
I personally do not believe religious personalities should ever be allowed to enter politics. Sobitha Thero may be a good man but he is a man of the robe. When religion and politics mix the result is almost always biased governance.
Ah well, in a nation that permeates violence in every pore of its people, violence and nothing but violence, what difference does it make?
MaRa and his coterie of marauders are standing still watching the unfolding drama. The moment there is the slightest whiff of losing the election, be ready, MaRa will unleash the greatest fireworks that Sri Lankans are yet to see. He will not go quietly – that is for sure.
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Horikadey / July 29, 2014
They are all liars, cheats and schemers with the exception of Ven. Sobitha Thero and the weak serial-loser Ranil. You need fire to fight fire – and so the ideal man for the job may be Sarath Fonseka. He is doubtless without any education worth mentioning, bereft of right thinking at the right moment, lacks finesse and culture. Knows little of courtesy to function locally and diplomacy to function out in the world. He knows little of governance and less of economics. When he was in power he indulged in open corruption placing his Son-in-Law as front.
But he’s got what will bring the scheming, super-cunning Rajapakses to their knees. He has a section of the army with him and the backing of many Buddhist priests as well. What the people want, angry as they are, is to teach the entire Rajapakse family a good lesson for ruining the country in the past 6 years. And for that Sarath Fonseka could well be their the man. If that happens the country will be on fire for sometime but there will be little trace of the Rajapakses thereafter.
BTW, how far is it true that MR and GR have warned the local media not to publish anything critical of MR’s embarassing failure to attend the Glasgow Games opening. It is said he was clearly hoping to hobknob with British Royalty there. There is hardly any comment by the media in an event Mahinda Rajapakse has been shamed by not going – while being Head of the Commonwealth – an aberration for which the corrupt Kamalesh Sharma should be held responsible. It is not only Rajapakse the individual whose name is in the mire but the fair name of Sri Lanka as well.
Horikadey
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Saroja / August 8, 2014
The best thing ever could happened to Lanka. The unity beyond ethnic divide brings the warring parties united. I do not know what common political values SF&TNA or RW&JVP have but definitely the unity draws attention of masses who wants a democratic change in every aspect including social justice and ethnic equality. Let us lay a strong foundation for decentralized governance starting from end of EP.
Salute you all for your united effort.
It is bow my head to JVP for such sagacity to end Rajapakse rule
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