Needs Maha Sangha Intervention to save the country from Federal

The Joint Opposition yesterday called for Maha Sangha’s intervention to thwart the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe project to form a Federal States in Sri Lanka under so called Constitution.

The Maha Sangha’s backing was sought when heavyweights of Joint Opposition Prof. GL Peiris and MP Udaya Gammanpila met most Ven. Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala thera, chief incumbent of Getembe Rajapovaramaya and Maha Nayaka of Asgiriya Chapter Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera.

Members of JO said that they explained four major issues, namely the danger in setting up an Office of Missing Persons (OMP), Constitutional reforms on the basis of federalist Lal Wijenayake’s recommendations, ETCA) and the Geneva process. They accused the government that the several ministers of the government having made various commitments inimical to the country subsequently went back on its word. The former minister, Peris was referring to the on-going controversy over an alleged understanding among the government of Sri Lanka, the US and the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as to the foreign judges to prosecute our war heroes.

Further, they highlighted the maha sangha that the government put off local government polls indefinitely because it feared the public opinion. “Sri Lanka is the only country in the world as we speak today where there is not a single functioning local government body. How can that be yahapalanaya or democracy?” As people had been deprived of basic democratic rights.The government can ascertain the true state of public opinion by immediately holding long overdue local government polls.

Last week Prof Peiris briefed Head of the Lankan Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on the same issues.

MP Gammanpila told that contrary to public pledges given by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wicremesinghe regarding the proposed constitutional reforms, the Wijenayake committee’s recommendations posed a grave danger to Sri Lanka. The MP said that the vast majority of members of Wijenayake Committee wanted to do away with the unitary status in the new constitution as well as deny special status to Buddhism. He further alleged that the Yahapalana administration had caused turmoil and acted in a manner detrimental to national security.

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