Constitutional Amendment is our party’s prerogative: MR

Mahinda Rajapaksa

• SLPP signs 10 separate MOUs
• Says all citizens must come together to defeat the Government 
• JO front-liners were absent
• Only Chamal present, no Basil or Namal for event 

By Nuwan Senarathna  

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday claimed that the incumbent Government does not have the right to amend the Constitution, insisting that only a new government his party would form would have the right to amend it and address its shortcomings.

Former President Rajapaksa expressed these views at an event held at his Official Residence in Colombo to sign separate memoranda of understanding (MOU) with 10 political parties that are not currently represented in Parliament.

Those political parties were not previously politically aligned with the Joint Opposition (JO). 

The MOUs were signed with Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya, Lanka KamkaruEksath Peramuna, ThamilaEksath Nidahas Peramuna, Elawar Democratic Party, Muslim Ulama Party, Liberal Party, NawaSihala Urumaya, Prajathanrawadi Jathika Viyaparaya, Eksath Lanka Maha Sabhawa, and the Bhoomiputra Party.

He noted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution had “boomeranged” on the United National Party (UNP) and President Maithripala Sirisena. He also criticised President Sirisena over his statement that he was unable to read and understand the effects of the 19th Amendment properly. “We have reasons to believe that there was a hidden agenda behind enacting the 19th Amendment. They are now trying to bring in the 20th Amendment,but we feel this Government no longer has the right to amend the Constitution. Only a government set up by us will have the right to amend the Constitution to address its existing shortcomings,” Rajapaksa said. 

He claimed the Government was now trying to patch up the Constitution in an attempt to gloss over the people’s real needs so that it could return to power. Rajapaksa promised that they would not allow the UNP to form a new government, which, according to him, would oppress the public. 

The former President added that citizens have a duty and a responsibility to defeat the incumbent Government to free the people who have been oppressed and future generations. He criticised the Hambantota Port deal, which he viewed as an attempt at destroying the country.

“The Prime Minister is a cunning person.He got a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Minister to sign the Hambantota Port deal when former Port Minister Arjuna Ranatunga refused to sign the deal.” 

He said the Government was like a deaf elephant which could not hear the people’s cries. “People are going through many hardships; graduates have no jobs, labourers face many issues and the cost of living is skyrocketing. People no longer complain because they know the Government takes no notice of the complaints,” he said. 

However, JO front-liners, such as Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimala Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, were absence. Out of the Rajapaksa family, only Chamal Rajapaksa was present at the event.

Pic by Shehan Gunasekara