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Bonggo
Senior Member

Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8281
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  16 Jan 2008 08:34:14 GMT  Report for Abuse   
P007,

No my friend, Premadasa could not make any change to the Constitution! He could not do it and I have explained the reasons above.

There was no change made to the electoral system after JR either.

When Premadasa was sworn in as President in 1989, Parliament was already dissolved. If the Parliament was dissolved, how can he make any change to the Constitution? Two months later the General Elections were held and Muslim Congress won 4 seats and emerged as the third largest party in terms of votes received.

What you are talking about is an agreement Premadasa had with Ashraff to get Muslim Congress votes for the Presidential elections. Ashraff campaigned in support of Premadasa. After becoming President he did many personal favours to Ashraff.
Shakti
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2006
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  16 Jan 2008 08:46:45 GMT  Report for Abuse   
P007,

I may be wrong. Bonggo seems to have a superior knowledge.

But one point, that 5-12% thing is perhaps not in the constitution, but in an act, in which case Premadasa would not have needed 2/3 majority.

If I remember correctly, in the 1989 election Asaroff stayed neutral. Yunus (a Muslim) draw a crtoon depicting him visiting a physician to take some medicine to improve the strength of his spine.

.
Bonggo
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Joined: May 2005
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  16 Jan 2008 09:24:32 GMT  Report for Abuse   
Shakti,

But one point, that 5-12% thing is perhaps not in the constitution, but in an act, in which case Premadasa would not have needed 2/3 majority


As far as I remember, it was electoral reform and in Constitution. If Premadasa ever did anything (in case if it was an Act where you only need a simple majority), it would have been after the four SLMC members were elected to Parliament.

It would have also been regarding Provincial Council elections which took place much later (I think in 1991) and not Parliament.

If I remember correctly, in the 1989 election Asaroff stayed neutral


Trust me, Ashraff campaigned for Premadasa during 1988 Presidential elections.
raigamakolla
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1335
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  16 Jan 2008 09:39:00 GMT  Report for Abuse   
JVP/SLFP were responsible for the departure of IPKF and we have seen the consequences of that blunder to date.

JVP/SLFP are resposible for the abrogation of CFA and we have been seeing the consequences since January 1st.

The two parties are sacrifycing the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in a useless and senseless war.

When will they respect the right of innocent people to live??

p007
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 761
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  16 Jan 2008 12:09:07 GMT  Report for Abuse   
Bonggo/Shakthi

But one point, that 5-12% thing is perhaps not in the constitution, but in an act, in which case Premadasa would not have needed 2/3 majority


This provision is in the Constitution Chapter XIV. The cut off in the 1978 Constitution was 1/8th of the total votes which will make it 12 1/2%. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution of Dec. 17, 1988 reduced the cut off to 5%.

That would have been just before the Presidential Elections in which Premadasa was elected. Although Premadasa was not President when the 15th Amendment was passed, as the candidate of the UNP he got what ever he wanted and JR had no choice but to agree.

As I remember, one of Ashroff's demands to support Premadasa was the reduction of the cut off to 5%. Premadasa, having agreed to it, got the Constitution amended using the 5/6ths majority the UNP had in Parliament.
Shakti
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  16 Jan 2008 12:57:35 GMT  Report for Abuse   
Trust me, Ashraff campaigned for Premadasa during 1988 Presidential elections.


This is more a memory test than anything else. :-)

What I remember was Ashraff initially supported SLFP led DUNF. (Democratic United National Front that is SLFP + few left parties plus Liberals, JVP did not join though they were expected) The day after nominations he pulled out, but he never openly said he would support Premadasa. He might have done it anyway.

Perhaps what Bonggo remembers is Ashraff supporting Premadasa in General elections of 1989.

Anyway, he was not a guy to trust. In 1994, Gamini Dissanayake sent a helicopter to Nuwaraeliya to bring him. He came in the same helicopter and instead of meeting Gamini, ran to Chandrika.

.
p007
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  16 Jan 2008 13:59:16 GMT  Report for Abuse   
What I remember was Ashraff initially supported SLFP led DUNF. (Democratic United National Front that is SLFP + few left parties plus Liberals


Bonggo is right. Ashroff did support Premadasa in the 1988 Presidential elections. In 1989 Parliamentary elections, his SLMC contested solo and won 4 seats.

DUNF was Lalith's breakaway UNP which was led by the widow of Lalith, Srimani in the 1994 Parliament elections. DUNF was aligned with the SLFP in 1994.

In 1994, the Liberal Party joined with Ashroff. I doubt whether the Liberals contributed much by way of votes but they did contribute with funds and that is the main reason why Ashroff took them in against much criticism from within the Party and without.

Bonggo
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  16 Jan 2008 14:22:42 GMT  Report for Abuse   
Shakti,

There you are, P007 clarified it. As 007 he might be having inside information :))

Anyway, he was not a guy to trust. In 1994, Gamini Dissanayake sent a helicopter to Nuwaraeliya to bring him. He came in the same helicopter and instead of meeting Gamini, ran to Chandrika


This is true. He was supposed to have an agreement with D.B. Wijetunge. Everything was in place and it was due to some idiotic actions by some Muslim UNP MPs of the East that he was forced to join CBK. Rest is history!
CholaPandyan
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 184
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  16 Jan 2008 21:23:49 GMT  Report for Abuse   
By then even Rohana Wijeweera may be re-born as Ramanathan Vijaveeran and will be fighting for the tamil rights ably supported by Mucha re-born as Thamilselvan!
This birth and re-birth follows a certain pattern to compensate for their misdeeds in previous lives.
Nada


Nada,
i guess you read this article about a Tamil girl reborn as a Sinhala boy..
Kural


Hmmm.... it is quite interesting to see some members talking about Rebirth.

The following news report gives an important message about Rebirth.

DUTUGEMUNU'S STATUE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS REBIRTH

A Miracle On Vesak Night!

A miraculous happening occurred at the holy city of Anuradhapura last Vesak night. Nearly twenty-five witnesses who were present and who were stunned by what happened decided to hush it up. They took an oath that it should never be known to the rest of the country. However, one of them who happened to be carrying a tape recorder in his closed bag found to his amazement when he reached home that every word of what happened had been recorded in it without his knowledge. He was so awe­struck that he decided to hand over the entire tape to a News reporter but it went into the wrong hands. The identity of the source will not be revealed for reasons of confidentiality. But let us present to our LNP readers the entire transcript.

Please read on,

It all happened when about two hundred Sinhala Buddhists from Sri Lanka 's Patriotic National Movement under the leadership of Ven. Dambara Amila Thero decided to take an oath on Vesak night 2007 in front of the statue of the warrior king Dutugemunu at Anuradhapura. Having assembled at the holy city, they first held an 'Adhistana Pooja' and then marched from the Sinha Kuluna (Lion Tower) to the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanveli Seya. The Vesak Full Moon seemed to shine with extraordinary splendor that night as the party stood in respectful silence before the statue.

It was the Ven. Dambara Amila Thero who addressed the statue. 'Oh dear Prince Dutta Gamini, warrior-king, savior of the Sinhala race, vanquisher of the Damilas , we the two hundred full-blooded Sinhala Buddhists assembled here before you have come here so that you, our dear Sinhala savior, may witness the sacred oath we are about to take'. We the two hundred who represent the millions of Sinhala patriots in this country do hereby resolve that we shall leave no stone unturned until:-

1. The Sinhala race is protected from alien elements such as the Damila Tigers, and the White Tigers (Norwegians).

2. The entire Northeast is reoccupied by Sinhala men and women.

3. The unitary constitution that the British rulers gave us in 1833 is preserved.

4. Pirabhakaran and his hordes are wiped out in battle.

5. Sinhala - Buddhism reigns supreme all over this land hallowed by the visit of the Buddha.

These Oh King, is our Pancha Sheela. We beseech you to bless us and give us courage.

Tired by the long march, about twenty five of them decided to lie down there itself and go to sleep under the soothing light of the full moon. Ven. Dambara Amila Thero and the rest had meanwhile left. It was some eerie sound that first startled those who were sleeping. It was close to midnight. The earth beneath them appeared to be shaking. Surely it could not be an earthquake? Sri Lanka had never known one in 2500 years? They then heard a voice, a strange voice. It seemed to be coming from nowhere. Astonished, they all sat up. There was no mistaking it was Dutugemunu?s statue that spoke! Miracle of miracles!! They stood up in utter disbelief, unable to believe their ears!!!

?My dear children' - said the statue, 'it is two thousand years since I left this ground where you stand now. Haven't you learnt anything at all these two thousand years? Are you such poor learners? 'Dutta' means wicked. Who named me Dutta Gamini? Not the Damilas. You Sinhala-Buddhists did. Of course you were right. I was wicked. My father was known as Kakkavanna Tissa, because he was as dark-skinned as the colour of a crow-( Kakka - Crow, Vanna - Colour) but he was a wise man, a man of Peace. He never wanted to grab another man's land. When he told me: 'Son, don't go to fight the Damilas. The region on this side of the river (Mahaveli) is enough'. Do you remember what I did? Have you forgotten the Mahavamsa? The trouble with you, my children, is that you have a genius for forgetting the few good things said in the Mahavamsa and hang on to the many stupid things that are written there. What did I do to my father who gave me good advice? Thrice he forbade me, and thrice I stood my ground. Not only did I disobey him, but I also insulted him. I said: 'If my father were a man, he would not speak thus: therefore shall he put this on'. And therewith I sent him a woman's ornament. Wasn't that wicked? That is why your Sinhala forefathers named me Dutta-Gamani.

'In your feelings of hatred for the Damilas, you had forgotten what your own Mahavamsa said about the Damila king Elara (Ellalan)'. Did he not rule the whole country for 'forty four years, with even justice toward friend and foe, on occasions of disputes of law'? It was against this noble, just ruler that I went to war in order to pursue my grand ambition. I made the rivers turn red with the blood of thousands and thousands of human beings. I, a virile young man, challenged the aged Elara to single combat. How old was he then, seventy?

Was that an act of courage? But I slew him. But my dear children, in the hour of victory, I became repentant. I myself organized the funeral rites of that great ruler. On the spot where Elara's body was fallen, I had it placed in a catafalque, a decorated bier, and I lit the fire. And there did I build a monument and ordained worship. For nearly these two thousand years princes or people, passed this way in complete silence. But what did your recent foolish politicians and archaeologists do. Due to the hatred in their hearts they obliterated all signs of this monument, the very monument, I, Dutugemunu caused to be built. Having defied me, why do you keep invoking my name for your own politics of hatred? Two thousand years after my death, today, I am not the same Dutugemunu you think I am. You are in for a big surprise, my dear children. A very big surprise!

The twenty five witnesses to these miraculous words held their breath and stood in dazed silence. Were they dreaming? It cannot be. The Vesak moon continued to bathe the statue in a strange ethereal light. The statue continued to speak: -

?A man's life, dear children, is only a single footprint on the sands of time. Once he is released from a corporeal world, he moves on to another. In our Buddhist belief of Samsara, only a few can become Arahats and be released from future births. Sinners like me who caused the 'destruction of millions (of beings)' as your Mahavamsa says, and helped to promote hatred against the Damilas are destined to be born and born again and again. Within these two thousand years I have gone through repeated births and deaths, as humans, as animals, as vermin, etc. Now I have taken human birth again. Do you know, my children, I am now living among you.

At this, an overpowering sense of shock seized many of the listeners, and some of them lost consciousness. The few who were able to keep their senses continued to listen.

It does not surprise me that some of you are unable to contain your emotions. You, who call yourselves true Buddhists and Sinhala patriots, are mistaken in your beliefs. You do not understand Buddhism and you do not even realize that Tamil blood flows in your veins. Does that surprise you? You have been living in a state of self-deception, my dear children. I am born here now for the purpose of taking the blinkers off your eyes. You may see in me only a statue, but do you know that I am now a human being living in this Dhammadeepa of yours and whose name is known to all of you.

­Hearing these words, one of the listeners could not contain himself any longer. 'Oh dear king, tell us, tell us who you are', he shouted at the statue.

Be patient, my dear son. I was reborn here in your Sri Lanka on the 26th of November 1954 and I have been living here for fifty two years now. You know me, of course you know me very well.

My name is PIRABHAKARAN.
VELUPPILLAI PIRABHAKARAN!

The next morning, some tourists who happened to be visiting Anuradhapura saw a strange sight. About twenty-five men looking dazed, lay stretched at the foot of Dutugemunu's statue. All of them seemed to have lost their power of speech. First aid was quickly summoned, but no sooner they were revived they hurried away from the spot and were seen getting into an excited huddle. One of them was seen carrying a travel bag which contained a tape recorder.


zenith
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 126
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  16 Jan 2008 22:46:33 GMT  Report for Abuse   
Wiweerawansa and team, do you live the lives you lived 10 years before. your houses , expenditure, from where you get those lavish life?
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