News
Some UNPers to defy party ban on Common Alliance rally
The Common Opposition Alliance’s inaugural meeting has run into some stormy weather after the UNP prohibited its members from attending the rally in Colombo but several of those slated to attend said they would go ahead and do so.
UNP Gampaha District MP Karu Jayaruiya said he had not been officially told that the UNP’s Working Committee had reached such a decision and even if it had, he had accepted the invitation to attend Thursday’s rally and would do so.
“The rally is being held to canvass public support for the abolition of the executive presidency. This is not inconsistent with the policy of the UNP which in the last presidential election made it one of the rallying calls when it backed General Sarath Fonseka,” Mr. Jayasuriya told the Sunday Times.
The new alliance’s first meeting to be held at Hyde Park in Colombo has been initiated by the United Bhikku Front (Eksath Bhikku Peramuna) headed by Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera.
“We started a campaign to bring about a just society with several religious programmes three months ago. Thursday’s rally is the beginning of a political process to educate people on the urgent need to abolish the executive presidency which had led to many of the deficiencies that exist in our society today,” the Ven. Thera said.
He said all opposition political parties and civil society groups had been invited for the rally. “We sent invitation to all opposition MPs. We have had a batter response to our call than we expected,” he said.
UNP Southern Provincial Council MP Maithree Gunaratna said he would attend Thursday’s rally. “This alliance is meant to build public opinion against the executive presidency and call for its abolition. This is the policy of the UNP as well. I think the UNP Working Committee has misunderstood the purpose of the alliance,” Mr. Gunaratne said.
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka told the Sunday Times the alliance had no relevance to the UNP and therefore it had decided to ask its members not to attend the rally on Thursday.
“The Working Committee has taken a decision and publicised it. There is no need to inform members individually of this decision,” he said. The UNP also issued a statement explaining why such a decision was taken by the Working Committee which met on Friday. (See box story)
Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka will be a prominent participant in the rally. He told the Sunday Times last week that opposition parties should put aside their differences and come together to overthrow the Government.
UNP warns members, explains position on executive presidency
0The UNP warned its members that they would face disciplinary action if they attend the Eksath Bhikku Peramuma-led Common Opposition Alliance meeting in Colombo on Thursday. “Those who take part in the activities organised by this Bhikku Front will be violating the party constitution and will be breaching the disciplinary code for party members,” the UNP said in a statement.
It said that some of those involved in the attack on Sirikotha along with the Bhikku organisations that uses the name of the UNP has organized a rally for Thursday (October 18).
“The UNP has no links to this organisation. We do not approve of the actions this front which poses as the official Bhikku Front of the UNP,” the statement said.
The UNP also said the executive presidency was introduced to the country in 1978 to fulfill the political, social and economic needs at the time. However, over a period of time the requirement of the executive presidency as well as opinion about it had changed. Subsequent legislation that followed as well as certain rulings by the Supreme Court had made the Executive Presidency stronger. With the passing of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution the position of the President got further consolidated and led to the crippling of independent institutions operating in the country, the party said.
The statement also said that since 1994, consecutive presidential candidates had vowed to abolish the executive presidency but after being elected to office, forgotten their pledges. Because of this, people no longer had faith in proclamations made to abolish the Executive Presidency.
“The UNP has taken the executive presidency into consideration after looking at all the factors. Our first task is to strengthen democracy and democracy institutions in the country,” it said.
The statement added that the UNP, in the future, hopes to discuss with Sarath Fonseka and the alliance he has formed on the future of the Executive Presidency.
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
SF still clueless of terms, conditions of his releaseFormer Army Commander Sarath Fonseka who was released under a Presidential pardon in May this year, said he is still ...
SLMC sticks with UPFA, major storm in partyThe Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has decided to contest the upcoming provincial council elections with the United People’s Freedom ...
Reactivate 17th Amendment before next electionsPro-Government political analysts and pundits have hailed as outstanding the victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in last ...
TNA may consider coalition with UPFA in East, if invitedTamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan said yesterday that they were willing to consider a coalition administration in the ...
Polls Chief sends top team to probe presence of armed gangs in EastSenior Elections Department officials are to be dispatched to the Eastern Province to probe allegations about the operation of armed ...