Rajapaksa calls on people to oppose political chicanery of govt. to save Motherland
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday called upon people to unite and organise to oppose the government attempt to destroy the democratic institutions in the country by indefinitely postponing provincial council polls through a legislative trickery, similar to the way it put off local elections by two and a half years
Rajapakasa said: “The UNP, the SLFP faction allied to the UNP, the Tamil National Alliance, the JVP and other yahapalana conspirators acting in concert have introduced changes to the provincial councils’ elections law in order to indefinitely postpone PC elections. Even though they tried earlier to introduce a constitutional amendment to extend the terms of the existing provincial councils without holding elections, that move failed because the Supreme Court determined that such a constitutional amendment would require a referendum in addition to a two thirds majority in Parliament. Now all provincial councils will stand automatically dissolved in terms of Article 154E of the Constitution as they complete their five year terms. The Sabaragamauwa, North Central and Eastern provinces are to stand dissolved in a few days’ time. The other PCs will stand dissolved at various times in 2018 and 2019.
“Though the dissolution of the provincial councils will take place as scheduled, the latest changes to the provincial councils’ elections law will enable the government to indefinitely delay elections to the PCs on the excuse that constituencies need to be demarcated. This was the same excuse this government used to postpone the elections to the local government bodies which have now been delayed by over two and a half years. This government has stood the law making process on its head in their attempt to avoid holding elections.
“Such gross abuse of the law making process has never before been experienced in this country.
Even the JVP’s ban on elections in 1988/89 and the LTTE’s terrorism over three decades was never able to bring the electoral process in this country to a complete halt the way the present government has. This government has also openly insulted the judiciary and flouted the Constitution by introducing changes to the provincial councils election law through the back door when the Supreme Court had given a clear ruling that the extension of the terms of the provincial councils or a postponement of elections would require a referendum in addition to a two thirds majority in Parliament. The people should unite and organize to oppose this attempt to destroy the democratic institutions in this country.”
The full test of the media brief issued by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is as follows;
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