by Dasun Edirisinghe
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would set about the Constitution making process the way he handled the Central Bank bond scams, senior political analyst Dr Dayan Jayatilleka said yesterday.
Addressing the public seminar under the theme, ‘Prime Minister’s involvement in the Central Bank bond scam’ at the Public Library Auditorium, Dayan said Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had brought in a Singaporean as the Governor of the Central Bank. Now, he had brought in an Australian friend (Prof. Suri Ratnapala of Queensland University) to head the committee appointed to make the new Constitution, Dr. Jayatilkeka said, noting that the UNP economic policies were based on privatisation and selling family silver to foreigners.
The bond scam had happened as PM Wickremesinghe’s friend had been appointed the Central Bank Governor. The bond scams had had the same impact on the Central Bank as the LTTE bomb attack, Dr. Jayatilleka said.
The political analyst said assigning the task of constitution making to one of Prime Minister’s friends would result in the President losing his powers and those power being transferred to the Prime Minister.
Presenting examples from the book ‘Open Veins of Latin America’ authored by Eduardo Galeano, the senior political scientist said the same thing would happen to Sri Lanka after introducing a new Constitution.
Dr. Jayatilleka faulted President Maithripala Sirisena for his neutral policies as he would become vulnerable once Presidential powers were pruned and powers of the Prime Minister were increased.
“President Sirisena behaves like Siri Sangabo, but his powers will be removed by the new Constitution,” Dr. Jayathilaka said.
He said that if Prime Minister gained authority after the powers of the President were removed, Wickremesinghe would once again appoint Arjuna Mahendran as the Central Bank Governor.
Dr. Jayatilleka also considered reduction of the powers of Provincial Governors as a major threat to the country.
“PM Wickremesinghe’s only aim is to introduce the new Constitution as at this moment they want to acquire power, which they cannot do through elections,” he said.
Courtesy:The Island