Former President and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was spreading hatred and circulating misinformation about the new Constitution among the people, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday.
“Rajapaksa has now become an orb of hatred. He recently visited a temple and said that by April a new Constitution would be introduced and the country would be separated. He said the new Constitution would establish a Federal State. What lies are these? Why spread false information? We wouldn’t have minded if it was someone else who go around saying such things. But this is a Former President we are talking about. He was the President in this country for some good ten years. He should be ashamed of these actions.” Dissanayake said.
Dissanayake expressed his displeasure at Rajapaksa led group depending on racism and religious animosity to gain power. He urged Rajapaksa not to create uneasiness among the general public and to conduct himself as a responsible leader.
The JVP Leader made these observations in reference to the speech delivered by Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Constitutional Assembly yesterday.
The Steering Committee had failed to present a draft Constitution to the Constitutional Assembly even after a lapse of three years, Dissanayake also said. Pointing out that passing a new constitution was a lengthy and complex process, Dissanayake observed that the Steering Committee was not even at the initial stage of the process.
Dissanayake said the Steering Committee had not come to any agreement upon electoral system, executive presidency and devolution of power.
“The Steering Committee itself is divided into about four factions. They cannot come to any agreement. They have met 83 times for the last three years. If the Steering Committee cannot come to a unanimous decision, how can we ever actualize a new Constitution?” Dissanayake asked.
Dissanayake also criticized Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for not paying enough attention to accelerate the drafting process.
Courtesy: The Island
