{"id":35346,"date":"2014-11-25T22:08:17","date_gmt":"2014-11-26T03:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=35346"},"modified":"2014-11-25T22:08:48","modified_gmt":"2014-11-26T03:08:48","slug":"president-rajapaksa-must-use-the-23-majority-he-has-in-parliament-and-introduce-a-new-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=35346","title":{"rendered":"President Rajapaksa Must Use the 2\/3 Majority he now has in Parliament and Introduce a New Constitution"},"content":{"rendered":"

By<\/p>\n

Somapala Gunadheera<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s burning issue is the struggle to find a common candidate to contest at the oncoming presidential election. That choice will affect only the next election. But the highest national priority is undoubtedly to save the country from the shackles of autocracy imposed on it by Constitutional amendments made by successive self-seeking rulers. If the inroads made into the people\u2019s freedoms are allowed to continue unabated and widen themselves further, this land is bound to end up in a banana republic, sooner than later.<\/p>\n

The tide of despoliation can be set back only through an apposite amendment of the Constitution. Such an amendment necessarily calls for a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Just now there is such a majority, regardless of the subterfuges under which it was engineered. In the background of the ongoing political turmoil, the chances are that the lineup in Parliament would change breaking up its composition. In that process, the two-thirds majority would be lost forever or for a long, long time. In that scenario it would be prudent for all Parties in Parliament to come together to promulgate a new Constitution.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It is true that the President is seeking a new term of office. That should not affect the normal functions of Parliament. The President himself has promised to introduce Parliamentary government at both the elections he won and recently he has clearly declared that it was the duty of the legislature to promulgate a new Constitution. He would stand by what Parliament decided in this matter. Of course the amendment would be normally assigned in the first instance to a PAC which more often than not, is only a braking system. But there is nothing to prevent the Parliament from taking up the amendment direct, giving priority to the item. That step would help the President also in his election campaign. Presumably, most of his supporters are worried about the amendments under which the President is seeking a third term. That disappointment may be offset by a positive step to democratize the Constitution and they are likely to cast their vote to their favourite, satisfied that steps were being taken to alley their fears and the result of their choice at the PE would be short-lived and that they could reinstate their hero at the ensuing democratic election.<\/p>\n

There may be an overhaul in Parliament as a result of the ongoing Presidential election but all the parties in the Opposition are reported to have agreed by and large on a new model Constitution. As the President has already declared that he had no objection to Parliamentary government, members on the Government should have no problem in joining hand with their colleagues across the aisle to help promulgate a new Constitution. The efforts in this direction would be facilitated by the just and unbiased attitude always taken by the Speaker in his rulings. What all members in Parliament should bear in mind is that they are faced with the last chance to democratize the Constitution, failing which both sides would be left in an unending quagmire.<\/p>\n

Several models of Constitutional amendment have been evolved already. Wijedasa Rajapaksha has tabled one in Parliament already. There are also the models evolved by Rev. Aturaliye Ratana, and Rev, Maduluvave Sobhitatha. All these documents have much in common and it is unlikely that there would be any obstacle to evolving the new Constitution by merging them constructively. Even the members on the Government side would not find an insuperable obstacle in the proposals in hand. Now that their bonds have been loosened by the possible realignments brought about by the pending election, they may find it easy to participate conscientiously in the Constitution making effort. Members on both sides should lose no time to act as it is now or never.<\/p>\n

The President himself has nothing to worry about the proposed amendment. In my article on “President Rajapaksa Disqualified to Seek a Third Term?” published in the Island on the 23rd September, 2014, I wrote,<\/p>\n

“The better alternative would be to take the bull by the horns and throw out the \u2018Bahubootha” Constitution lock, stock and barrel and usher in a truly democratic instrument, before President Rajapaksha faces the electorate again. The good news is that he was supposed to be already engaged in that task but the bad news is the suggestion that the question of amending the Constitution should be put to the vote at the Presidential Election itself. This attempt to kill two birds with one stone is likely to create problems. The vacillation is bound to alienate from his vote base all those who are fond of Mr. Rajapaksha but are averse to Presidential rule. The President must make up his mind for once, whether he wants to be Head of State from Diyavannava or face the risk of getting thrown out from President\u2019s House. Not even a President can eat the cake and have it.”<\/p>\n

Evidently President Rajapaksha has taken the plunge towards President\u2019s House and he appears to be facing a huge challenge from the joint opposition. Even if he loses the battle, he has nothing to worry if the New Constitution is in place by the time the Presidential election is over. With his huge popularity with the masses, he may have a second chance to head the Government from Diyavannava as Prime Minister, if only Parliament succeeds in putting the amendment in place before the two-thirds majority is lost forever. <\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Island<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Somapala Gunadheera Today\u2019s burning issue is the struggle to find a common candidate to contest at the oncoming presidential election. That choice will affect only the next election. But the highest national priority is undoubtedly to save the country from the shackles of autocracy imposed on it by Constitutional amendments made by successive self-seeking …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘President Rajapaksa Must Use the 2\/3 Majority he now has in Parliament and Introduce a New Constitution’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35346"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35348,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35346\/revisions\/35348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}