{"id":55201,"date":"2017-09-16T03:57:18","date_gmt":"2017-09-16T07:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=55201"},"modified":"2017-09-16T03:57:18","modified_gmt":"2017-09-16T07:57:18","slug":"eliya-s-mission-is-to-educate-the-people-about-the-dangers-of-allowing-our-rulers-to-introduce-a-new-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=55201","title":{"rendered":"“Eliya” s Mission is to Educate the People About the Dangers of Allowing Our Rulers to Introduce a New Constitution."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Shivanthi Ranasinghe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reaction to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s (GR) new movement, “Eliya”, is revealing. On one hand,an invitee-only 1,000 guest function became an open event as many people just turned up and insisted on remaining. Finally, an audience of about 2,500+ in three halls watched the whole two and half hour event in rapt attention – some standing throughout. Many others, trapped in the unprecedented traffic jam, missed the event. On the other hand, mainstream media and political pundits in their scepticism and curiosity over issues irrelevant to Eliya’s objective, missed the whole point.<\/p>\n

Many misread Eliya as a Joint Opposition (JO) project. In a way, they cannot be faulted for nearly all JO MPs attended the event. It surprised even the JO to see such a large turnout of JO that is not present in its own events.<\/p>\n

The presence of all the Rajapaksa brothers from MR, CR and BR and even the young nephew NR further added to the distraction. The Rajapaksa brothers sitting in a row took the attention from the ones who were actually part of Eliya and who had come forth to speak on behalf of it. Just looking at the Rajapaksa siblings (and nephew) and the large presence of JO, many pundits pronounced that GR has finally entered the political arena.<\/p>\n


\nOnly time will tell if it is indeed the case. However, looking at the composition of the committee and the speakers who were clearly visible, seated on the stage, does not support the pundits’ verdict. It supports more the mission of Eliya as stated by GR.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\nPatriotic forces<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Eliya’s mission, stated GR, is to gather patriotic forces and national organizations to educate people about the danger of allowing a new Constitution to be introduced by the present rulers.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“After defeating 30 years of terrorism that scourged our country, we cannot allow our victory to be betrayed through the Constitution or Parliament,” he said. “That’s why, academics and professionals from numerous fields decided to organize as Eliya to educate the public the danger of a new Constitution. Eliya as an organization is determined to do everything necessary to prevent this move for a new Constitution.”<\/p>\n

He admitted that the present Constitution has its own issues. “Yet, when looking at the architects of the new Constitution and for whom and whose benefit they are drafting it, we feel a deep fear. It is the same people who then supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who collected funds to buy weapons, who couldn’t achieve through terrorism what they wanted are trying to achieve it through another means.<\/p>\n

“It is the same international organizations and foreign governments who opposed the military efforts against terrorism who are trying to bring in a new Constitution. The new Constitution aims to meet the Tamil separatist politicians’ needs.<\/p>\n

Human rights champions<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It is those who for years killed innocent civilians and destroyed our country who have become human rights champions now. They are now trying to take the war heroes and their leaders to courts. It is they who are trying to bring a new Constitution.<\/p>\n

“We also have no faith in the present government. They said the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) will never materialize, but it did.<\/p>\n

Likewise, they said they will not allow anything to happen to our war heroes. Yet, a large number of war heroes, especially from the military intelligence are under detention. Then, how can we trust such a government? It is clear that any Constitution they bring will be an extremely dangerous one to our country.”<\/p>\n

He further said this is not a mission that Eliya will be achieving on its own. “We have already discussed with the national organizations which had stayed committed to protect the interests of our country. Our intention is to get everyone involved.”<\/p>\n

It was an interesting mix of personalities who sat as the committee and speakers to achieve this task. On the stage sat Ven. Medagoda Abhayatissa, Ven. Induragare Dhammaratana, Fr. Vimal Tirimanna, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Tamara Kunanyakam, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Dr. Seetha Arambepola, Rear Admiral Dr. Sarath Weerasekera, Major General Kamal Gunaratne, President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva, Attorney-at-law Rushdhie Habeeb, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Chandraprema, Sriyantha Mendis and Neela Wickremasinghe. Thus, it is not only a mix of professionals and academics, but from different communities as well.<\/p>\n

Article 9<\/strong><\/p>\n

The speakers did not make lengthy speeches, but focussed on different topics and explained their stance. Ven. Medagoda Abhayatissa’s topic was the threats to Article 9 the new Constitution presents.<\/p>\n

Fr. Tirimanna had two questions:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Does this government have a legitimate mandate to introduce a new Constitution?<\/em><\/p>\n

He effectively argued that it does not have such a mandate. The government does not enjoy the same huge and clear mandate the governments that introduced the 1972 and 1978 had. Though Maithripala Sirisena promised to change the Executive Presidency at the 2015 January polls, he was elected with a thin margin. His vote base was mainly from the North and East and the minorities elsewhere. Then, he asked, can it be taken that the majority had given a clear mandate for him to create a new Constitution.<\/p>\n

In addition, Fr. Tirimanna reminded the audience that Sirisena has pledged in his election manifesto,”I will not touch any Constitutional Articles that could be changed only with the approval of a referendum….Instead of the present autocratic Executive Presidential System, I will introduce a Constitutional structure with an Executive that is responsible to Parliament through the Cabinet.”<\/p>\n

\u2022 How democratic will be the new Constitution?<\/em><\/p>\n

On the credibility of those who are drafting the new Constitution he reminded that among those who are now insisting on a new Constitution are those including the incumbent PM who approved the 1978 J.R. Jayewardene Constitution. When the present rulers are haranguing that they will bring a new Constitution, what may come, how democratic will it be? Fr. Tirimanna questioned.<\/p>\n

Already, the government had failed to be democratic. In January 2015, Ranil Wickremasinghe was appointed as PM, when his party had only 46 members in a 225 member Parliament despite the then PM enjoying the confidence of a vast majority.<\/p>\n

Parliamentary majority artificially created<\/strong><\/p>\n

The parliamentary majority has since been artificially created with ‘yes’ men by appointing defeated candidates through the backdoor. The indefinite postponement of local and provincial elections, prosecution of only those opposed to the government, hushing the bond scams all reveal the true face of the government.<\/p>\n

Dr. Jayatilleka explained why we should reject this destructive new Constitution. R.A. Weerasekera explained the efforts to remove the concurrent list, which would effectively create nine separate governments.<\/p>\n

Kunanyakam explained that Sri Lanka is practically under the U.S. tutelage, whose strategic objective is to maintain its global hegemony. “It is symbolic that the U.S. Ambassador chose to announce Washington’s decision to ‘assist’ Sri Lanka draft its Constitution and implement Human Rights Council standing on the amphibious warship USS New Orleans, which is used to land and support ground forces on enemy territory and patrols provocatively close to China.<\/p>\n

“There are other guns pointed at us: the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution and the notorious IMF \/ World Bank conditions. Good governance was not invented by Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maithripala Sirisena or Mangala Samaraweera. It was coined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and the U.S. Treasury, as a political condition for the enslavement of indebted countries such as ours. Behind these threats you can see the same face of Washington.”<\/p>\n

Ruthless hawks<\/strong><\/p>\n

She introduced briefly Jeffery Feltman, Samantha Powers, George Soros \u2013 all of them, as ruthless hawks. To achieve their objectives, the architects aim to make the unconstitutional constitutional, the illegal legal by a simple trick of changing the law. She quoted writer and film-maker Errol Morris’s question, “if someone tells you there’s an elephant in the room, which you can’t find even after carefully searching for it, is it absence of evidence or evidence of absence?”<\/p>\n

PC de Silva explained Sri Lanka’s fate under a Federal Constitution. Cabraal explained the economic implications.<\/p>\n

Habeeb explained that usually a federal system is introduced to unite scattered States together. However, in the case of Sri Lanka, the effort is to break up an already unitary State. He pointed out that the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) demand to hold a referendum to unite the North and East only from those two provinces. He asked the audience to draw upon our own experiences during the LTTE days and reflect how much the minorities in the North and East suffered. Giving land and Police powers to such areas is extremely dangerous and must be opposed by all. He further pointed out that foreign powers professed much concerns of the problems Muslims and Tamils faced during the last administration. Yet, no one questioned the problems these two communities faced during the LTTE days. All communities have coexisted for centuries and can continue to live under a unitary State.<\/p>\n

Powerful appeal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Arambepola made the most powerful appeal as she reminded us our duty to the country. We have invested in the professionals, but after gaining social status, many of them feel reluctant to speak up on behalf of the country, she charged. It is time to turn our personal victories to national accomplishments.<\/p>\n

Her powerful appeal knocked the wind out of many, including Major General Gunaratne. He however recovered quickly and asked the simple question whether we should allow the great sacrifices our forces made be overturned.<\/p>\n


\nThose who see Eliya as GR’s entrance to politics should listen to the speeches again and make an attempt to understand the message the 11 speakers collectively made. It is time to stop being obsessed with the Rajapaksas and start paying attention to our country.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Courtesy:Ceylon Today <\/em><\/p>\n

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By Shivanthi Ranasinghe The reaction to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s (GR) new movement, “Eliya”, is revealing. On one hand,an invitee-only 1,000 guest function became an open event as many people just turned up and insisted on remaining. Finally, an audience of about 2,500+ in three halls watched the whole two and half hour event in rapt attention …<\/p>\n

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