Not satisfied with UNP’S present conduct - JR’S grandson

Says he will contest for LG polls from the SLFP

While pledging to defeat the new proposed Constitution, the grandson of the first Executive President of Sri Lanka Pradip Jayawardena said he has decided to contest the upcoming local government polls from the SLFP because he is not satisfied with the conduct of the United National Party (UNP).

Mr. Jayawardena said yesterday at a press briefing that his grandfather introduced the present Constitution because there was a credible reason to introduce it but said there was no such need to bring in a new constitution today.

When asked why he decided to contest from the SLFP and not with the UNP, he said even the JR Jayawardena came into politics from the communist party in 1941.

“I have a problem understanding what the UNP is doing now, because the UNP is the inheritor of this Constitution and inheritor of the Presidential System. The UNP is the one who should be defending the Presidential System. But today they try hard to break it,” he said.

Mr. Jayawardena who is the SLFP organizer for Gampaha said he would contest for the Colombo Municipal Council in the upcoming local provincial election. When asked whether former President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked him to join the Joint Opposition, he said Mahinda Rajapaksa had requested him to contest from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna but said he would contest under the SLFP.

Defending the Executive Presidential system, Mr. Jayawardene said that there is a myth amongst some people that late JR introduced the 1978 constitution to enjoy excessive powers himself. “The truth is that JR first proposed and called upon for the creation of an Executive in 1966 in the best interest of Sri Lanka. His other attempt was in 1971 at the Constituent Assembly created by Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

He said if the late JR’S proposal was adopted in 1971, Ms. Bandaranaike would have become the first Executive President of Sri Lanka and not his grandfather.

Commenting on the draft new Constitution proposals which are now out in the open Mr. Pradip Jayawadene says it is quite clear that the clauses relating to unitary state and Buddhism are being tampered with. “Though we are told nothing will be changed, we must ask the question, if there is no change why touch them at all? If we make the so-called changes, where would they lead us to?” asks Mr. Jayawardene.

“What is the basis and what are we trying to achieve from the new Constitution. In 1972, we wanted to create a republic. In 1978, we wanted to change the Parliament system and the presidential system. Whether it was good or bad, it was reasonable. What is the reason of a new Constitution?” he queried.

“In 1995, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike sought to convert Sri Lanka in to a federal state proposing our country to be redefined as a Union of Regions. This is Federalism. In 1995, JR who was in retirement, read the entire proposal and the same morning called Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNP and then Leader of the Opposition and asked him to immediately oppose the proposed Federal package.

Today we are playing with the Constitution again. The interim report of the steering committee wants to remove the word ‘Unitary’ and replace it with the Sinhala word ‘Ekeeya Rajyaya’ and the Tamil word ‘Orumiththa Naadu’.

“It is also proposed that the Presidential system is abolished. We have already devolved power to the provinces through the 13th Amendment. The President and his representative, the Governor, is the only safeguard we have against secession. As we all know Varatharaja Perumal already tried it once and failed because of the Executive Presidency.

It is now too late to abolish the Executive Presidency. If we abolish it and centre executive power around the PM, the executive would no longer be independent and comes under pressure of party politics. We know that MPS can be swayed due to many influences. They can then threaten the PM as his survival is dependent on them” he said. Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana