President Sirisena could be impeached – National Anthem in Tamil

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said President Maithripala Sirisena is liable to be impeached for having officially authorized the singing of the National Anthem in the Tamil language.

The PHU said it holds the Jathika Hela Urumaya responsible for misleading President Sirisena on the issue. The PHU adds that a Circular issued to this effect, if gazetted, would be in violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka because only a referendum on the issue could legitimize it.
PHU Central Committee member Ven. Yagoda Seevali Thera says this is not the first time that the President had been placed in a compromising position and this is because he lacks the services of capable consultants.

Article 7 of the Constitution stipulates that : “The National Anthem of the Republic of Sri Lanka shall be “Sri Lanka Matha,” for which the words and music are set out in the Third Schedule.”

“Only the Sinhala language version should be sung at State functions. We are not averse to it being sung in Tamil at any other function. This move is typical of President Sirisena’s responses to grave issues. The President’s response was one of apathy when a genocide resolution was passed by the Northern Provincial Council, he added.

PHU General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila said that although Indians spoke several languages the Indian National Anthem is only sung in one language while Singapore’s national anthem is in the Malay language though Singapore is also a multi-lingual nation.

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