PM giving into TNA demands – JNC

by Harischandra Gunaratna

Spokesman for the Joint National Committee, Gevindu Kumaratunga yesterday charged that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had either fallen for Opposition leader and Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan’s demand that the Sinhala term for ‘Ekeeya’ (unitary) should be incorporated into the English version of the proposed draft constitution without using the English word ‘unitary’ or the Prime Minister was feigning ignorance about its dangerous consequences.

Kumaratunga addressing the media at the National Library Services Board said even the 13th amendment to the constitution had been introduced in a similar manner and today one could see how much damage it had caused.

Responding to a query by journalists why there was no public outcry against the shortcomings of the proposed draft constitution, Dr Anula Wijesundera, a member of the Joint National Committee said a new constitution was not something that the masses had asked for and hence they were not interested in it.

Kumaratunga said the Prime Minister had no right to make proposals inimical to the country’s interests by giving into the TNA’s demand he was trying to hoodwink the masses.

It amounted to a constitutional coup masterminded by those who were hell bent on dividing the country, he said.

Kumarathunga stressed that there was a need for patriotic politicians to pull the country out of the present mire.

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