Why did Rathana Thera meet Basil?
The Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera says that he discussed constitutional amendments with MP Basil Rajapaksa who is hospitalized at the Merchant's Ward though under remand custody.
Ceylontoday, 2015-05-10 02:00:00
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Why did Rathana Thera meet Basil?
By Subashini Gunaratne
The Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera says that he discussed constitutional amendments with MP Basil Rajapaksa who is hospitalized at the Merchant's Ward though under remand custody.
Excerpts of interview:
Excerpts of interview:
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: You have always believed that the Executive Presidency must be safeguarded but without too many powers vested in it. Did you achieve what you wanted through the 19th Amendment.
A: We stood for a revision of the powers of the Executive Presidency. We agreed before the Presidential election not to attempt introduction of constitutional amendments which would need a referendum.
Not all amendments pave the way for divesting of powers of an executive president. We proposed amendments to lessen the powers of the executive presidency. Some of the powers of the executive President were transferred to Parliament. But we needed more powers taken away.
: You have always believed that the Executive Presidency must be safeguarded but without too many powers vested in it. Did you achieve what you wanted through the 19th Amendment.
A: We stood for a revision of the powers of the Executive Presidency. We agreed before the Presidential election not to attempt introduction of constitutional amendments which would need a referendum.
Not all amendments pave the way for divesting of powers of an executive president. We proposed amendments to lessen the powers of the executive presidency. Some of the powers of the executive President were transferred to Parliament. But we needed more powers taken away.
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: You submitted a set of proposals to the former government and quit the government since they were not accepted. Will you do the same with this government also.
A: We seek a balance of power between the President and Parliament. We wanted the Presidential and the General Election held together. We observed that the Executive President's side always won the General Elections. We reasoned among ourselves therefore that Parliament would be further strengthened if both elections are held simultaneously. The President still has the power to appoint ministry secretaries. We could not amend the powers of the President to change the departments and other institutions under the Ministries.
: You submitted a set of proposals to the former government and quit the government since they were not accepted. Will you do the same with this government also.
A: We seek a balance of power between the President and Parliament. We wanted the Presidential and the General Election held together. We observed that the Executive President's side always won the General Elections. We reasoned among ourselves therefore that Parliament would be further strengthened if both elections are held simultaneously. The President still has the power to appoint ministry secretaries. We could not amend the powers of the President to change the departments and other institutions under the Ministries.
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: Does that mean the present government also has ignored your proposals.
A: Yes. They tried to amend the Constitution having completely ignored our proposals. There is constitutional engineering process for amending a Constitution without a referendum. This Constitution has a format. It was oriented to uphold the office of executive president. If the President, Parliament and the electoral system is changed, the system will lose its balance. The provisions in the new Constitution regarding substituting the President in case of death or being made invalid were upheld by Supreme Court itself and we had nothing to do with it.
: Does that mean the present government also has ignored your proposals.
A: Yes. They tried to amend the Constitution having completely ignored our proposals. There is constitutional engineering process for amending a Constitution without a referendum. This Constitution has a format. It was oriented to uphold the office of executive president. If the President, Parliament and the electoral system is changed, the system will lose its balance. The provisions in the new Constitution regarding substituting the President in case of death or being made invalid were upheld by Supreme Court itself and we had nothing to do with it.
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: Do you mean the Constitutional amendment is totally unsatisfactory.
A: I cannot say it is totally unsatisfactory. We achieved some objectives. But we could have achieved more.
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: President Maithripala Sirisena said that he would be finished if lost the Presidential election.
A: Yes.
: Do you mean the Constitutional amendment is totally unsatisfactory.
A: I cannot say it is totally unsatisfactory. We achieved some objectives. But we could have achieved more.
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: President Maithripala Sirisena said that he would be finished if lost the Presidential election.
A: Yes.
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: Did you also have threats to your life.
A: Yes.
: Did you also have threats to your life.
A: Yes.
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: You quit the UPFA Government to end the corrupt regime that spread terror.
A: Yes.
: You quit the UPFA Government to end the corrupt regime that spread terror.
A: Yes.
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: In such a context, what are the reasons behind the decision for your visit to Basil Rajapaksa in Hospital.
A: First, he is hospitalized. But I did not visit him merely because of that. I met Mahinda, Gotabhaya and Basil Rajapaksa after the presidential election. I met President Mahinda immediately after he lost the Presidential election. I met Gotabhaya Rajapaksa twice after the Presidential election. I met Basil in hospital because there was no other place to meet him.
: In such a context, what are the reasons behind the decision for your visit to Basil Rajapaksa in Hospital.
A: First, he is hospitalized. But I did not visit him merely because of that. I met Mahinda, Gotabhaya and Basil Rajapaksa after the presidential election. I met President Mahinda immediately after he lost the Presidential election. I met Gotabhaya Rajapaksa twice after the Presidential election. I met Basil in hospital because there was no other place to meet him.
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: What did you discuss with him for about two hours.
A: Some newspapers said I discussed for about five hours. It is false. We spoke of things in general for a limited time.
: What did you discuss with him for about two hours.
A: Some newspapers said I discussed for about five hours. It is false. We spoke of things in general for a limited time.
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: What did you focus on.
A: We discussed the constitutional amendment. He is a person who can influence the SLFP. He is a person who manipulated Presidential powers immensely.
The SLFP needed to take responsibility for the constitutional amendment and get the credit for it from the masses. I wanted to get the support of all sections for the 19th Amendment and we discussed it at length.
: What did you focus on.
A: We discussed the constitutional amendment. He is a person who can influence the SLFP. He is a person who manipulated Presidential powers immensely.
The SLFP needed to take responsibility for the constitutional amendment and get the credit for it from the masses. I wanted to get the support of all sections for the 19th Amendment and we discussed it at length.
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: What made you think that after he abandoned the party after the presidential election he could persuade the people to back the amendments.
A: His desertion is not relevant to me. I know he manipulated immense power by way of his relationship to the President. We elected the President but worked with Basil Rajapaksa for the last ten years. I believe he is a powerful person even to this day. That is the truth. He is the shadow of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
: What made you think that after he abandoned the party after the presidential election he could persuade the people to back the amendments.
A: His desertion is not relevant to me. I know he manipulated immense power by way of his relationship to the President. We elected the President but worked with Basil Rajapaksa for the last ten years. I believe he is a powerful person even to this day. That is the truth. He is the shadow of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
?
: You quit the former government to end family rule but eventually visited Basil Rajapaksa. President Maithripala Sirisena has held talks with the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The people are suspicious about these developments.
A: I did my duty as a Buddhist monk. We tried with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to amend the Constitution. He had a two- third majority power. It was the best system.
Therefore, we tried until the last moment to amend this Constitution. We finally challenged the government and worked to topple it since our demands were not met.
The reality after the Presidential election is that we need the support of the SLFP to pass the constitutional amendments. We defeated them politically but we now talk to them for the sake of this country.
: You quit the former government to end family rule but eventually visited Basil Rajapaksa. President Maithripala Sirisena has held talks with the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The people are suspicious about these developments.
A: I did my duty as a Buddhist monk. We tried with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to amend the Constitution. He had a two- third majority power. It was the best system.
Therefore, we tried until the last moment to amend this Constitution. We finally challenged the government and worked to topple it since our demands were not met.
The reality after the Presidential election is that we need the support of the SLFP to pass the constitutional amendments. We defeated them politically but we now talk to them for the sake of this country.
?
: President Maithripala Sirisena is the Chairman of the SLFP. Is it necessary to seek the support of the Rajapaksa clan to gain a two-third majority.
A: SLFP is divided. If everybody is under President Maithripala Sirisena we will not need to discuss so much. Mahinda Rajapaksa is making great efforts to form a separate organization. That is why we need to talk.
We will not talk with anybody if President Maithripala Sirisena has all powers. We had to proceed along a pattern in which separate rallies are being held, the government is criticized and press conferences are held against the constitutional amendment.
: President Maithripala Sirisena is the Chairman of the SLFP. Is it necessary to seek the support of the Rajapaksa clan to gain a two-third majority.
A: SLFP is divided. If everybody is under President Maithripala Sirisena we will not need to discuss so much. Mahinda Rajapaksa is making great efforts to form a separate organization. That is why we need to talk.
We will not talk with anybody if President Maithripala Sirisena has all powers. We had to proceed along a pattern in which separate rallies are being held, the government is criticized and press conferences are held against the constitutional amendment.
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