Author: Edi tor

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka Any collective, especially a minority community, is in the most serious kind of political trouble when its smartest representatives say things that are the exact opposite of smart—and that’s a polite euphemism—at exactly the wrong time. Take MP M.A. Sumanthiran, quoted by Meera Srinivasan of The Hindu as follows: ‘… “While it is true that the draft… Continue reading "The 13th Amendment, the Indo-Lanka Accord and the very principle of provincial devolution stand in jeopardy While the Tamils are cornered in a political dead-end."

By Dayan Jayatilleka –  Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka If all power and decision-making are vested in one person, even if that person has originally been elected, then that political order is defined in classical (Aristotelian) terms as “the rule of one man”, a “tyranny”. In modern times this is defined as a dictatorship, especially if the ubiquity of the military is an aspect… Continue reading "MR’s Role, 13A & The Constitutional Changes"

A Sri Lankan politician sentenced to death for murder has been escorted from prison to parliament to become the first convict to be sworn in as an MP, amid heckles from the opposition. Premalal Jayasekara, 45, from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party (SLPP), was convicted in August of murdering an opposition activist after opening fire at a 2015… Continue reading "Report in the UK “Guardian” About Murder Convict Premalal Jayasekera Being Allowed To Be Sworn in as MP by the Speaker in Sri Lanka."

By Sandun Jayawardana Less than a month into its five-year term, the Ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka achieved world-wide notoriety this week when a murder convict on death row was sworn in as a member of the august assembly, amid jeers and a walkout from Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs. The swearing-in of Ratnapura district Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna… Continue reading "Row over murder convict-MP: Speaker takes cover behind court ruling as SJB fires salvo after salvo"

By Kishali Pinto Jayewardena As public concern over Sri Lanka’s draft 20th Amendment to the Constitution increases exponentially since this amendment was gazetted on 2nd September 2020, so do the sheer absurdity of the justifications thereto. Cunning and deplorably simplistic explanations are put forward by some in Government ranks. The President as a ‘super-constitutional’ creature It is bad enough that… Continue reading "There are clear and present dangers in allowing such ‘unfettered’ powers to be wielded by the President who is being elevated as a ‘super-constitutional creature’ by the 20th Amendment"

By W.K. Prasad Manju Ten Opposition Parliamentarians have expressed willingness to support the proposed draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, a top Cabinet Minister said. The group had affirmed that they were ready to back the Government in two ways, the Minister added.  He averred that some of the Opposition MPs would cross over to Government ranks when… Continue reading "Ten Opposition MPs to Support 20th Amendment?"

The 20th Amendment will have the effect of restoring the presidency to its pre-19A eminence, and diminishing the prime minister’s position to its previous nameboard status. No one knows what will happen if and when a whole new constitution comes into being. We are supposed to believe that unlike 19A, which was allegedly intended to elevate Ranil Wickremesinghe and undercut… Continue reading "The 20th Amendment: Mahinda’s Golden Handshake & Maithri’s Moment Of Reckoning"

By P.K.Balachandran When the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa got the unanimous approval of his parliamentary group for legislation to ban cow slaughter, it was not the first attempt to have the practice banned. Despite toying with the idea of banning cow slaughter from time to time, no government has thought it fit to legislate on it. This is… Continue reading "”Stoping Cow Slaughter in Sri Lanka” which will not happen."

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera Military occupied lands in the North and East, which have tactical importance will not be given back to the people in view of national security as it is directly related to national economy, State Minister Sarath Weerasekara said today. He told Parliament that 90 per cent of the military occupied lands have already been… Continue reading "State Minister Sarath Weerasekara Tells Parliament that military occupied lands in the North and East that are of tactical importance would never be given back to the People owning them"

ECONOMYNEXT – The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) will launch a protest movement against the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution tomorrow September 8 at the statue of the late Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thero, the party announced. A statement from the party issued last night said the launch will take place at 4 pm at the Japan Friendship Road near the… Continue reading "Opposition SJB to launch anti-20th Amendment movement tomorrow"

ECONOMYNEXT- Opposition activist, Attorney at Law Harshana Nanayakkara is saying that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution if enacted, will take Sri Lanka back to the Stone Age. Nanayakkara, who represents the Lawyers of the opposition National Peoples’ Power alliance, told reporters that the 20A has given the power to the President to kick away the mandate given by the people… Continue reading "Proposed New 20th Amendment will take Sri Lanka back to the Stone Age – NPP"

The National Peace Council (NPC) yesterday urged the government to reconsider the need to proceed with the 20th Amendment in its present formulation as it is excessively centralizing and does not reflective of the plural nature of the Sri Lankan society. “The proposed 20th Amendment to the constitution has been approved by the cabinet of ministers and put before the… Continue reading "NPC tells got not to proceed with 20A in its present form"

By Jayampathy Wickramaratne – Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne PC The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution Bill (20A) is in the public domain. If I were to describe it in one sentence – 20A seeks to take the country backwards to the 2010-2015 period. The only features introduced by 19th Amendment that would survive if 20A is passed in its present form would be the five-year term of the President… Continue reading "20A Erodes People’s Sovereignty – Requires Approval At A Referendum"

The President can claim back the powers vested with the Prime Minister through the 20th Amendment to Constitution, revealed SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri. He made this comment in a statement to media yesterday (05) In his statement, he mocked Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa by quoting his famous words before public den sepada (is he comfy now?), as the powers vested in his… Continue reading "20th Amendment to Constitution claims back powers vested with Prime Minister"

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya the runner up to the Ruling Party has unanimously agreed to stand against the 20th Amendment to Constitution, in a move to strengthen democracy of the country.  The decision has been made during a meeting held under the patronage of Party Leader and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at Hall No 02 of the Parliamentary premises today… Continue reading "SJB unanimously stands against 20th Amendment to Constitution"

Tamil National Alliance Spokesperson Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has observed that any attempt to remove the 13 th Amendment would be grave error. He made this observation speaking to the Sunday Times. Sumanthiran said:  “It would be the biggest mistake if the Government abolishes 13A. It is based on a bilateral agreement signed with India. This was signed to provide solutions… Continue reading "Any attempt to remove 13A will be grave error … Sumanthiran"

A number of active Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora organisations around the world have urged the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to declare Brigadier Sawrna Bothota a ‘persona non grata’ and curtail his diplomatic visa in order to allow the Met Police to arrest him and investigate him for war crimes. “The first was Major General Prasanna Silva, named in three… Continue reading "Arrest Sri Lanka’s Defence Attaché To UK: British Tamil Conservatives & Tamils for Labour"

By Ayathuray Rajasingam – Ayathuray Rajasingam Sri Lanka is a country practicing pluralism. The 13th Amendment was a bi-product of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord which provided room for a political system where the Provincial Councils also could enjoy power with the view to comply with aspirations of the aggrieved community. But Sri Lanka deliberately refused to allocate the required funds and power for the North-East… Continue reading "Will The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord ”13th Amendment” Be Wiped Out?"

On a visit to India earlier this year, Mahinda, who had already become the Prime Minister after his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down in the wake of Gotabya’s election as President, promised India that his government was committed to strengthening the 13th Amendment. When he was President, Mahinda Rajapakse expansively spoke of a 13 Plus solution for Tamil demands for… Continue reading "Explained: Sri Lanka’s coming constitutional changes and why its Tamil polity is worried"

By Manjula Fernando/Sunday Observer Courtesy NewsIn.Asia “The genuine grievance of our people is the non-settlement of their political issues. Not the denial of economic sops!” the former Northern Province Chief Minister said. Colombo, September 6: Maintaining his penchant for making controversial statements, the former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran told the Sunday Observer in an interview that if the Tamils of… Continue reading "“If the Tamils of Sri Lanka do not the right to self-determination they will become Sinhalese within 15 to 20 years,” says Wigneswaran."

Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had issued joint statements with India three times pledging that he would implement the 13th Amendment to Constitution, TNA Spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran reminisced. He made this disclosure speaking to a public rally held in Kilinochchi yesterday (06). The TNA spokesman added that the Ruling Party’s adaptation of the new contitutional amendment would open doors to many challenges… Continue reading "MR pledged 03 times through joint statements with India that he would implement the 13th Amendment, reveals TNA"

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says they will support a move to abolish the Provincial Council system in the country in the upcoming constitutional amendments. Addressing a panel discussion on Swarnavahini, MP Dissanayake said that the 20th Amendment is an amendment to the Constitution, like the 13th and 19th Amendments. An Amendment focuses on the articles that… Continue reading "JVP to support moves to abolish provincial council system"

In just about six months into office, the promises made by the Sri Lankan president are slowly being jettisoned. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is clearly issuing orders that have been responsible for gagging the media. This is amply evident from the censorship imposed by the government on the coverage of the issue of seeking accountability for the deaths of 11 innocent Tamil… Continue reading "An opening for India in Sri Lanka"

Whatever its apprehensions and concerns about the regime of the Rajapaksa clan, India must be ready with unconditional assistance when Colombo asks for it. Because it will, observes Aditi Phadnis. Most Sri Lankans are placing bets on how soon the 13th amendment — which was a product of the India-Sri Lanka Accord and visualised devolution of powers to the Tamils in the… Continue reading "13th amendment visualised devolution of powers to the Tamils in the north and east province of the island — will get the Hamlet poison.: What are India’s choices?"

By Skandha Gunasekara India refuses to budge on its stance on the 13th Amendment despite reports of possible changes. “The position of the High Commissioner has not changed. The High Commissioner reiterated India’s longstanding position on peace and reconciliation and the full implementation of the 13th Amendment,” a spokesperson for the Indian High Commission told The Sunday Morning. Continue reading… Continue reading "Indian Envoy’s Stance on India’s Long Standing Position on Peace and Reconciliaion in Sri Lanka and the Full Implementation of the 13th Constitutional Amendment has Not Changed Says Spokesperson for Indian High Commission in Colombo"

By Dinasena Rathugamage Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK) Jaffna District MP C. V. Wigneswaran says he will seek India’s help to win the rights of Tamil people in the North and the East. Addressing the media in Kilinochchi on Saturday (5) MP Wingeswaran said that his inaugural speech in Parliament on the historic supremacy of Tamil language and Tamil people… Continue reading "Now, Wiggy seeks India’s support for his ‘struggle’"

N Sathiya Moorthy As with all post-war elections especially, the nation’s Tamil community remains confused – as much as what they want of the Sri Lankan State system as whom to vote for. Their political leadership(s) are divided and guilty, but neither seems to have touched them or the captive sections of their declining constituencies. Topping the list of course… Continue reading "What do the Tamils want?"

By N Sathiya Moorthy It is anybody’s guess why Erik Solheim chose to speak one of his irregularly regular outpourings just now. However, the one-time Norwegian peace negotiator’s assertion that the Diaspora Tamils misled LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran should be worth recalling, for current and future generations of Tamils to remember – unless of course, ideological LTTE remnants, nearer home… Continue reading "What is wrong with the Tamil polity…"

By Dr. Nilanga Samarasinghe Father Sleemanpillai Joseph Emmanuel is back in Sri Lanka and appealing to the immigration for leave to remain. He wants to die in Sri Lanka, a country that he spent the last three decades demonising. In spite of his record of supporting the LTTE and glorifying violence by Velupillai Prabhakaran, the generous people of Sri Lanka… Continue reading "Fr. Emmanuel Must Be Forgiven For His Sins by Cardinal Ranjith"

To say that the political decimation of the parties that claim to speak for the Sri Lankan Tamils has been completed is an understatement. It was a rout. The Tamil National Alliance was all but swept away in the unprecedented flood of support that marked the return of the Rajapaksas to pre-eminence in the Sri Lankan polity. But what was… Continue reading "Is India washing its hands off Sri Lankan Tamils?"

A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) called on the Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Baglay, here on Friday. The High Commissioner congratulated the TNA for its performance at the recent general elections. He reiterated India’s longstanding position on peace and reconciliation and the full implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution which had created elected Provincial… Continue reading "India is committed to full implementation of 13th Amendment but NOT Srilanka."

     Economic sanctions on Sri Lanka are not in the interests of his country, and movers of a UN resolution are expecting progress which would make such questions redundant, UK’s envoy to Colombo said. “Sanctions are not currently an issue,” High Commissioner (ambassador) John Rankin told an LBR-LBO CEO forum on meeting the challenges of a resolution on Sri… Continue reading "Economic sanctions on Sri Lanka not in UK’s interest"