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Bill to prevent priests seeking political office
Friday, 1 June 2012 - 10:43 AM SL Time
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UNP Parliamentarian and President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is making an unprecedented move to constitutionally deny political parties an opportunity to field priests, of any religion at parliamentary elections.
It could be the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Rajapakshe said, in a brief interview with The Island, after handing over a private member s Bill to that effect to Parliament yesterday, with the consent of UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya had, at Sambhavana, to celebrate the 70th birthday of the chief incumbent of the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha thera, highlighted the need to keep Buddhist monks out of politics, Rajapakshe said. `I have never heard such a ferocious attack on monks playing politics with national issues,` he said.
Asked whether his move was intended to undermine the UPFA constituent, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), he emphasized that the practice of accommodating priests of any religion in parliament, through elections or the National List, was detrimental to national unity.
The UNPer said that the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution, if ratified, would come into operation immediately after the dissolution of the current parliament. He expressed confidence that all political parties would sink their differences to amend Article 89 of the Constitution to prevent priests of any religion entering Parliament. Priests of any religion shouldn t seek political office at any level, he said.
Rajapakshe said that the Buddhist monks, as members of parliament, hadn t been able to make a positive contribution to changing the country s political culture or preventing the deterioration of parliamentary standards. MP monks had been treated shabbily both in and outside parliament with some of them attacked in the House itself, the MP said. As political parties were not likely to decide against fielding priests at elections out of their own volition, it was the responsibility of parliament to bring in required Constitutional amendments to keep the clergy out of parliament.
Rajapakshe said he expected his proposal to lead to a healthy debate among political parties and civil society members. Asked whether he was trying to deny a section of society from engaging in politics of his or her choice, the former SLFP MP said that the clergy playing politics with national issues was a major impediment to national reconciliation. Nothing could be as bad as divisions among the clergy of different faiths along party lines, he said, expressing concern that the priests were also involved in intra-party fighting.
JHU National Organizer Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said that the JHU was opposed to any move to deny JHU the right to field Buddhist monks at future elections at any level. It should be the prerogative of individual political parties to field candidates of their choice, he said. Warnasinghe said his party recognised and advocated the rights of all political parties to field priests at elections.
The JHU parliamentary group comprises Ven. Atureliye Rathana thera and Patali Champika Ranawaka elected at the last poll in April 2010.
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cgudu
Joined: Mar 2005
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 1 Jun 2012 05:08:35 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Any Politician who objects religious dignitaries of any religion, enter Politic are in fear of their positions. Considering the present trend in Politics all religious Leaders in the country should come to one platform and chase all rouges that vandalise this country, and teach them how to govern a country. |
wick
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1 Jun 2012 10:30:27 GMT Report for Abuse
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UNPers know very well that those buggers never get the support of Buddhist clergies.
P Ranil is not a Buddhist but christen. By tried to hoodwink Buddhists by embracing buddhism but couldn t cheat Buddhists.
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bleedingheart
Joined: Apr 2012
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 1 Jun 2012 11:07:59 GMT Report for Abuse
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Rajapakshe said that the Buddhist monks, as members of parliament, hadn t been able to make a positive contribution to changing the country s political culture or preventing the deterioration of parliamentary standards.
What positive contributions have the others like the Professors, Professionals, Academics etc. have made? If positive contribution is the criteria to rule out priests from entering parliament, then almost every one will have to be similarly ruled out as NO ONE has made any positive constribution. |
bleedingheart
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1 Jun 2012 11:11:14 GMT Report for Abuse
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| How about making all priests be subject to the Rule of Law without exception instead of turning a blind eye when the priests take the law into their hands? |
Libertyforall
Joined: Feb 2010
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 2 Jun 2012 03:20:19 GMT Report for Abuse
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Be careful........
All of we know what happend to S.W.R.D. Bandaranayaka, and what Honarable Sir John said at the site of Bandaranayaka's dieing hospital bed to his wife Sirima Bandaranayaka.
'Sirima I have chaind the dirty dogs, but your foolish husband unchaind dirty dogs, to be in power and one of them brutely bite your husband, he never survive, sorry that is his foolishness.'
'Sirima mama ketha ballo banda, umbe miniha ewun lihala damma, hama dama balayeenna kiyala, namuth ein eka ballek umbe miniha kewa, umbe miniha merenawa methuwalawala hatiyata, eka eaminihage modakama.'
Do we need this type of incident happens in this country again, then 'Welcom Hamuduruwo' to politics.
Edited By - Libertyforall - 2 Jun 2012 03:24:06 GMT |
Magnum357
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2 Jun 2012 04:07:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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Haamuduruwo in Parliament or out makes no difference, professors, pundits, academics in parliament or out makes no difference. Whom we SHOULD have in parliamant are TRUE STATESMEN that is what will make the difference that we all want.
Edited By - Magnum357 - 2 Jun 2012 04:09:02 GMT |
Magnum357
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2 Jun 2012 06:42:26 GMT Report for Abuse
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why hamuduruwo shot Bandaranayake
Was it actually a 'haamuduruwo' or a 'man in saffron robes' who shot Banda??????
Suspicion was rife that it was actually a guy by the name of Ossie Corea who wore a saffron robe and shot Banda and ran away but it was Somarama who happened to be on the street just at that time who was shot and caught.
Somarama maintained his innocence right up to the day he was hanged and converted himself to christianity the day before he was hanged.
Edited By - Magnum357 - 2 Jun 2012 06:45:01 GMT |
wick
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2 Jun 2012 07:36:19 GMT Report for Abuse
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It was Somarama who shot Bandaranayaka.
Somarama has nothing to do with Bandaranayake. But others, who got effected by Bandanayake s policies, mobilized Somarama as a pawn to kill Bandaranayake.
'Sirima I have chaind the dirty dogs, but your foolish husband unchaind dirty dogs, to be in power and one of them brutely bite your husband, he never survive, sorry that is his foolishness.'
Here, John Kothalawala referring to Union leaders but not Hamuduwos.
Somarama who happened to be on the street just at that time who was shot and caught.
Somarama shot Bandaranayake when he was worshiping this monk and it happened in Bandaranayeke s house.
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Magnum357
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2 Jun 2012 07:45:48 GMT Report for Abuse
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Somarama has nothing to do with Bandaranayake.
Seemingly yes. That was what transpired at the trial.
But others, who got effected by Bandanayake s policies, mobilized Somarama as a pawn to kill Bandaranayake
Yes! Buddharakkitha the Chief Priest of the Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya and Vimala Wijewardena former minister in Banda's cabinet and Sydney Soyza and some others. Interestingly did you know it was Nawaloka Mudalali who supplied the .45 revolver and six bullets of course not knowing on whom it was going to be used?!
Edited By - Magnum357 - 2 Jun 2012 07:49:18 GMT |
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