Constitutional reforms: TNA, JVP also to be invited for talks
The government said yesterday the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would also be invited to take part in the ongoing talks on constitutional reforms.
It said the government and the United National Party (UNP) had arrived at a consensus on several major issues.
Senior Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva told a news conference that electoral and constitutional reforms would be introduced soon and several committees representing the opposition have been appointed to work out the details.He said the discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the second round of talks that followed between the two groups were fruitful.
Both groups reached consensus on some major issues such as the abolishing the executive presidency and the setting up of the post of executive prime minister; to do away with the PR system and to reintroduce the first-past-the-post system and the ward system where applicable.
“We expect to arrive at a final decision as early as possible. We like to introduce these proposals tomorrow if possible. However, we feel there must be a broader consensus among all the political parties, the people and all other stakeholders to this national issue. As such we expect a healthy and genuine dialogue before presenting the electoral and constitutional reforms in parliament, the minister said.
He said the government expected an active and pragmatic approach from the UNP, the JVP and the TNA in carrying this process forward.
“We have a real chance this time as there is a broader agreement from almost all sections of society,” he said.
Commenting on the 17th amendment, Minister De Silva said the government was for the independent commissions.
“We can discuss and arrive at a consensus on the powers to be vested with the executive prime minister, his term of office and the way he or she must contest at elections. We have agreed that the executive prime minister must sit in parliament, be answerable and accountable to it,” he added.
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I cannot see any reason why the TNA should be invited to participate in the constitution making. They never have had the interest of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka. Having had talks with Manmohan Singh, the TNA will probably cling on to the Terrorist Tamil Leader, the Sun God’s vision and ask for a federal solution for the terrorist tamils. There are many amongst the TNA who are aspiring to step into the shoes of the deceased Terrorist Tamil Leader, the Sun God. The best option will be to leave the TNA and Hon Rajavarothayam Sambandan wallow in its own sewage.
HE President Mahinda Rajapaksa rightly pointed out that the Sinhala Buddhist Citizenry having sufferred for 3 decades in the hands of the Terrorist Tamils and their leader, the Terrorist Sun God and his Terrorist Tamil Youth Army, now has to obtain and pay back massive amounts of moneys from the imperialist lending institutions in restoring the Northern and Eastern Provinces. This burden is totally unfair and I wonder why the opposition UNP, the JVP and JHU have not picked up on this? Whenever the price of commodities go up in the world market and the Govt of HE Mahinda Rajapaksa passess on a part of the price to the community, the UNP threatens to take to the streets in protest. Why not protest against the massive loans to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed by the Terrorist Tamils?
In return for investing in the restoration of infrastructure in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, the new constitution should enshrine the rights of the Sinhala Buddhist Citizenry over all productive land in the North and East and rights to settle in those lands. This will ensure a Sinhala Buddhist majority presence in any federal structure of Govt being imposed by alien elements such as the Congress Govt in India.
The real issues facing the Sinhala Buddhist citizens of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka need to be addressed as a top priority in the evolution of the emerging Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka. HE President Mahinda Rajapaksa should consider the appointment of an internal panel of experts to advice him on this process.
TNA does not truly represent the majority Tamils in the North and in the East. They got elected by a handful of diehard Tamil nationalist votes. They suppressed the majority Tamils in these provinces from voting at the last general election by fear and intimidation, the methodology of the LTTE who is still not totally eradicated but lying dormant and controlled by the LTTE Tamil diaspora leaders. TNA gets its orders and the funding from this Tamil LTTE diaspora leaders. They are also supported by the Tamil Nadu extremist nationalist lobby led by Vaiko, Nedumaran and Seeman. In order to suppress this lobby, who is also supported by Karunanidi and Jayalalitha, from stirring-up nationalist feelings in Tamil Nadu and agitate for autonomy, Manmohan Singh is cunningly diverting their agitation, to interfere in Sri Lankan politics to create an autonomous Tamil state in SL in reality though not in name. MMS is playing with fire. It will backfire on Central Government of India one day. To please MMS, HE Rajapaksa is inviting TNA to listen to their views separately. This is politics. However, I am sure MR is not going to yield to extremist Tamil politics which the majority Tamils in SL have rejected. MMS nor Tamil Nadu nationalists nor Tamil LTTE diaspora can influence MR to grant the North and East more power akin to autonomy. MR has to go through the motions of listening to these extremists as a matter of democracy and prudence. It does no mean he will take on board their extremist views which is unrepresentative of majority Tamils in SL.
The re-generation of North and the East is right and proper since these provinces were most devastated by LTTE. These provinces are truly provinces of SL, though the majority are Tamils. The Tamils are truly Sri Lankan nationals. Hence it is right and proper these provinces are developed. Some of the money to develop these provinces are through outright grants from India and through soft loans. But most of it is through favourable loans from IMF and WB. India, IMF and WB are also helping to develop the South. The South is not neglected. We also receive aid from China, Iran, Libya and a few other nations to develop the South. It is dangerous to split into extremist camps and think the North and the East should not be developed. That would only serve the cry for autonomy of the Tamil extremists nationalists. Any national of SL, whether Sinhalese or Tamil or Muslim or Burgher should be free to go and settle in any province. North and East are not exclusively for the Tamils. This ideology should be given a swift coup de grace. We are all Sri Lankan nationals with freedom to settle in any part of the country. There are no ghettoes.
The JVP are invited for talks on constitutional reforms as a matter of political prudence. It is fair to let them also have their say in a democracy. However, their extremist politics will be laid bare and rejected by the government and the nation. SF however, should not be invited as he is in remand prison charged with serious crimes including plot to kill the President, his family and other leading politicians in the coalition government, through a failed coup d’etat. Let this message be loud and clear. Until proven not guilty he remains in remand with his political rights limited. We have our own better home-grown solutions to our problems. Let the imperial West shut-up.
Over the past three decades, Tamils from the North and the East have flocked to settle down in Colombo in large droves. They are now the majority in Colombo. This was the result of extremist Tamil agenda of Tamil politicians, using the LTTE war as an excuse. They have pushed the Sinhalese out to further South. There are large ghettoes of Tamils in Kotahena, Mutwal, Pettah, Slave Island, Bambalpitiya, Wellawatte, to name a few regions. They are spreading fast and thick like a cancer. So it is amazing when the extremist nationalist TNA is screaming that the North and the East to be declared for Tamils exclusively with a federal solution at least, if not automomy. How is it that Colombo, the capital of SL, has now a Tamil majority with the Sinhalese pushed out? No Sinhalese politician or party has taken up this issue and lobbying against it. It is but fair and democratic to cry against Tamil nationalism through the backdoor. Sinhales politicians should not be afraid to do so thinking it is too sensitive an issue. We have to take a stand against Tamil nationalism of the TNA, the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil Nadu extremists.
How did these Tamils from the North and East came to settle down in Colombo and the suburbs in the past three decades if not by a hidden agenda of the nationalist Tamil parties? The Sinhalese Political parties should no longer shut their eyes about it but stand against it. The cry now should be for an investigation/research by scholars into this Tamil migration down South, especially to Colombo, and call for a similar migration of Sinhalese to the North and East for balance. Otherwise the call should be for the Tamils who migrated South to be expelled back to the North and the East, if the Sinhales and other minority communities are to be kept out of North and the East. As it is the Sinhalese are made the underdog by the TNA extremists by a false cry if discrimination by the Sinhalese majority. The truth should be laid bare to India and to the whole world.
Fully agree with Nicholas Dias. The Terrorist Tamil Diaspora bootlickers bought units and houses and paid the rent for dwellings to house the elderly and relatives from the war torn regions. From their base in Colombo, these tamils were able to operate efficiently to obtain visas to friendly countries from where they jumped to refugee friendly countries such as Canada and Australia.
The land in the North and East belongs to the Sinhala Buddhist peasants. This should be enshrined in the constitution.
India should be kept away from the constitution making process. The Indians have many hidden agendas unlike the Chinese or the Koreans or the Russians or the Libyans. China, Korea, Russia and Libya may have international geopolitical interests in supporting Sri Lanka. But I am absolutely certain that they do not have any ethnic interests in Sri Lankan society.
HE President Mahinda Rajapaksa emanicipated the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka for Terrorist Tamils who have been squatting there for eons and in the last 3 decades, they had formed a Terrorist Army under the Terrorist Tamil Leader, the Sun God, to protect their illegal occupation of land.
Now that the land has been freed of illegal Terrorist Tamil squatters, it should be rehabilitated and returned to the legitimate owners of the land, the Sinhala Buddhist Citizens of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka.
Finally, I have a big question. Do terrorist tamils who have been squatting in the North and East have a legitimate claim for citizenship of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation of Sri Lanka?