{"id":211147,"date":"2020-06-11T23:59:46","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T18:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=211147"},"modified":"2020-06-12T00:26:08","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T18:56:08","slug":"lfd-condemns-gotas-virtuous-society-task-force-says-it-has-super-powers-over-pm-cabinet-public-servants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/lfd-condemns-gotas-virtuous-society-task-force-says-it-has-super-powers-over-pm-cabinet-public-servants\/","title":{"rendered":"LfD Condemns Gota\u2019s \u2018Virtuous Society\u2019 Task Force, Says It Has Super Powers Over PM, Cabinet &#038; Public Servants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lawyers for Democracy has condemned President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Gotabaya+Rajapaksa\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a>\u2019s task force to create a \u201cvirtuous\u201d society saying it is an affront to the constitutionof Sri Lanka and democracy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe promulgation of a task force with wide powers which override Parliament, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Judiciary and the Public Service is an affront to the constitution and democracy,\u201d the statement signed by Lal Wijenayake on behalf of LfD convenors noted.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_209978\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-209978\" class=\"size-full wp-image-209978\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/gotabaya-rajapaksa-7-128x86.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-209978\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lawyers for Democracy raises concerns that the Task Force has been directed to report to President Rajapaksa all delays and defaults on part of the public officers in following the instructions of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/gotas-junta-consolidates-after-sc-ruling-task-force-for-disciplined-society-ready-for-action\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Task Force<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe task force under these provisions will be vested with super powers to oversee the public service and other institutions, even the PM and the cabinet of ministers,\u201d LfD said.<\/p>\n<p>The Task Force tasked with building a lawful society was a serious admission of the failure of the existing institutions such as the legislature, judiciary and the executive to create a secure, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society, the LfD noted.<\/p>\n<p>See full statement below<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLawyers for Democracy\u201d views with deep concern the appointment by the President a Task Force with wide powers composed of eleven personals from the tri forces and two senior police officers. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It is said to be to build a secure country, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Further it states that it is to take necessary steps to curb illegal activities, take necessary measures to prevent entry of drugs, to take legal action against antisocial persons conducting activates located in other countries, to investigate and prevent legal activities in and around prisons.<\/p>\n<p>This is a serious admission of the failure of the existing institutions such as the legislature, judiciary and the executive to create a secure, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This is an indictment on the Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Public Service and the Judiciary.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This will amount in fact to a proclamation of loss of confidence in the institutions established under the constitution to administer the country. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If any changes are necessary to the existing laws on the issues stated or the constitution it should have been by legislation passed in Parliament with a certificate of constitutionality of such amendments by the Supreme Court. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The promulgation of a Task Force with wide powers which over right Parliament, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Judiciary and the Public Service is an affront to the constitution and democracy. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Further it is stated that all government officers and heads of other institutions should provide all possible assistance to the Task Force and provide all information called for by the Task Force.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Further it directs the Task Force to report to the President all cases of delay or default on the part of any Public Officer or officer of any Ministry, Government Department, State Corporation or other similar institution in the discharge of duties and responsibilities assigned to such Public Officer or such Institution. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Task Force under these provisions will be vested with super powers to oversee the Public Service and other institutions and even the Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There is no doubt that this is a long step forward in the process of militarization of the state and to create institutions outside the constitution. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLawyers for Democracy\u201d calls upon all those dedicated to democratic rule under the constitution, the protection of human and fundamental rights, rule of law and independence of the judiciary to see that this move is defeated. <b><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":209978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2186,1,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-featured-news","category-news","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>LfD Condemns Gota\u2019s \u2018Virtuous Society\u2019 Task Force, Says It Has Super Powers Over PM, Cabinet &amp; Public Servants - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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