ECONOMYNEXT — A collective of civil society organisations held a protest outside the office of the leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa in Colombo against an assurance he had made of implementing the 13th amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution.
Calling itself the ‘Coalition Against Partition of Sri Lanka’, the group carrying national flags marched up to the opposition leader’s office Thursday June 13 morning and demonstrated against the full implementation of the 13th amendment.
“We arrived here today to hand over a missive against devolving police powers, land powers and judicial powers. If Mr Premadasa is inside, come outside,” Jamuni Kamantha Thushara, Chairman of the Citizen’s Movement Against Fraud, Corruption, and Waste, was seen declaring at the site.
“First of all, tell us what we stand to achieve by dividing and giving away the north and east,” said another protestor, warning against bringing the 13th amendment “anywhere here (paththa palaathe)”.
A police officer at the scene the protestors that a secretary to the opposition leader was ready to accept their letter.
“In Kilonochchi, he says the 13th amendment will be implemented. The votes in the north are going to be decisive this election. To win those votes, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith and Anura Kumara Dissanayake all say they will implement the 13th. We will not allow this country to be divided into nine pieces,” said Thushara.
Ven Balangoda Kassapa Thero, who was arrested on June 06 during a protest against the new Electricity Act, was also seen at Thursday’s protest. The Buddhist monk requested for a debate with Premadasa on the matter of the 13th amendment.
“We invite Mr Sajith Premadasa to come to the south and make a public statement. As national organisations, we also want a public debate with him face to face. Our Buddhist monks, lawyers and national organisations will come forward to join this debate,” said Kassapa Thero, adding that he wondered whether Premadasa would “run away” from the debate the same way he allegedly did with the debate with National People’s Power (NPP) leader Dissanayake.
Premadasa who said he, as president, would implement the 13th amendment to the constitution, said earlier this week that it would be “13; not 13 minus or 13 plus”, when asked about sharing police and land powers.
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Sajith on sharing police, land powers: Will implement “13; not 13 minus or 13 plus”
(Colombo/Jun13/2024)