Sudath Gunasekara 20. 4.2017.
Commission to examine Kandyan, Muslim laws
By The Nation –
Apr 8, 2017
Lawyers are claiming that the legislation had reached a common understanding with regard to the repeal of Article 16 in that a commission would be appointed to hold discussions with those affected by the said Article and the local Personal laws.
A period of three years would be granted for the process of bringing about amendments to the Personal laws, namely the Kandyan law, the Muslim law and the Thesawalamai law. The commission would be submitting a report in this regard. On the question of the process involving the drafting of constitutional reforms, Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms, Attorney-at-Law Lal Wijenayake explained that the Steering Committee was drafting a white paper of sorts pertaining to the matter.
The Steering Committee was appointed by the Constitutional Assembly and the former is going through the six sub-committee reports on fundamental rights, the judiciary, law and order, public finance, public service and centre periphery relations.
It is not a draft of a Constitution but will contain what a constitution should contain such as for example, the nature of the State”, Wijenayake said.
It is expected to be tabled in Parliament in early May.”
What is this Commission Who appointed it. What are its TOR
What is the Commission document referred to here. When it was appointed and when and under what authority? Was it approved by Parliament
These Thesawalamei and Muslim laws should be abolished at least now. In one country, there should be only one law. Thesawalame and Muslim laws were introduced by the British to divide this nation. 12% Tamils and 7 % Muslims who are only intruders and not natives, in any case cannot enjoy special privileges, 75 % of Sinhalese the autochthonous inhabitants of this Island nation do not enjoy. Usually in other countries you provide and protect privileges for the natives and never the minorities. There cannot be minorities either in this country that had only one nation from 543 BC to date,that is the Sinhala people.
If this government or any other want reconciliation in this country these different laws should be abolished immediately instead of trying to strengthen them and have only one law for all the people. Those who do not want to come under one law can go back to any country where they can have their own laws.
What is this section of Article 16 in that a commission they want to repeal
Is this another ‘Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms” that rejected all representations made by people like us on behalf of the Sinhala community, the natives and included all submissions of minorities and even now continues to espouse so- called minority rights and that designed and arranged to achieve this Governments objective of dividing this country, create a Federal State, give the maximum to Tamils and destroy the 2500 year old Sinhala Buddhist identity and civilization of this country. The Chairman of this Committee born to a Sinhala mother should be ashamed of this betrayal of the Sinhala nation
It is big tragedy and a pity too, a Sinhala leader is not yet born even after 70 years of so-called independence, to stand up boldly and say that This is the Land of the Sinhalese and the Land of Buddhism’ and all those who want to live and enjoy its resources should accept the law of the land and follow its rules and those who are not prepared to do so have no righto live here
Knowing what Wijenayaka Committee has done (Recommendations of which have not been rejected by the country and will never be accepted in future and its proper place is the dustbin of history) why the Government spent tax payers money further on this kind of wasteful exercises?