MANY CLAUSES OF PORT CITY COMMISSION BILL VIOLATE ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONSTITUTION: SOBITHA THERA

Several clauses of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill are in violation of the Article 9 of the Constitution,the National Intellectual Sangha Council Chairman Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said yesterday.

A group of monks of the Council headed by Ven.sobitha Thera handed over a letter to the Secretary to the Buddhasasana Ministry stating that clause no. 52,53 and 73 of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill were violating the Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution. The Thera said the said

Bill was violating the fifth clause of the Kandyan Convention of 1815 and deprived the culture, identity, security, religious freedom of the people and sustainable development which were ensured by the 1972 Constitution.

The Thera also said in the letter that the 52,53 and 73 clauses of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill were creating a society where the religious, sustainable development and decent lives of the people adored by the Buddhism and Buddha Sasanaya would be destroyed leading to a social system deviating from the principles of the five precepts.

He said the 52,53 and 73 clauses of the Bill were also depriving the priority given to Buddhism and the government’s responsibility to safeguard and prosper the Buddhism as stipulated in the Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution.

Ven. Sobitha Thera said the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was advocating the theme of “One Country- Two Laws” adding that there was a law for betting, Casinos and excise for other parts of the country while the Port City was excluded from such laws. This means that the Article 9 of the Constitution was not applied to other parts of the country except for the Port City.