Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa accused his successor Maithripala Sirisena of trying to appease the minority Tamil community by promising devolution of powers, saying he will oppose the “fraudulent” new Constitution.
“What did they [the Sirisena government] say... they said powers of the presidency will be reduced and Parliament would be strengthened,” Mr. Rajapaksa said while addressing a public rally on Friday.
“We will oppose this fraudulent new Constitution,” he said, adding that the large gathering at his rally was an indication that people did not want a new Constitution. “The motive of the new Constitution is to appease the Tamil minority in their quest for political independence,” he said
Referring to the military defeat of LTTE in 2009, Mr. Rajapaksa said, “We have to safeguard our victory.”
The government aims to replace the existing 1978 Constitution with a new one while accommodating Tamil demand for devolution of powers to the respective regions. Reports from six sub-committees, comprising members from all political parties, are to be referred to the main steering committee.
Earlier this month, the Tamil National Alliance had said that it will not be a part of the ongoing Constitution-making process if the government abandons the idea of finding a political solution to the Tamil issue and more devolution is not considered.
The government expects the new Constitution to address the demand of Tamil minorities for political recognition. — PTI
