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| Thursday, 20 May 2004 |
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| Present Constitution no longer suitable for country - Deputy Media Minister by P. Krishnaswamy The present Constitution, introduced 26 years ago by the Jayawardene government for specific purposes at that time was no longer suitable to the country and a constitutional reform was imperative, Deputy Minister of Media and Information and General Secretary of UPFA constituent, National Unity Alliance (NUA), Segu Issadeen, said. He said so at Hotel Ranmuthu on the occasion of the 87th birth anniversary of late Deshamanya Al-Haj M. A. Bakeer Markar. At this function, organised under the auspices of the All Ceylon Union of Muslim Youth Fronts (ACUMLYF), Muslim members of the current Parliament were felicitated and also scholorship was awarded to a student. Speaking further on the topic 'Proposed Constitutional Changes and the Minorities', Deputy Minister Issadeen said that those who drafted the 1978 Constitution were no prophets who could foresee the future dilemma the constitution could pose to the country. Man-made laws were liable to changes and the Muslim community should keep its mind open to Constitutional reforms if it will benefit the country as a whole, he said. Patriotism was a unique quality among Muslims and, therefore, they should put the country first, he said, adding that, it was unfair on the part of anyone to oppose the proposed constitutional reform without having a deep insight on the subject, he said. Deputy Minister Issadeen further said that: "The current constitution has bestowed unlimited powers on the Executive President. The Executive remains more powerful than the Legislature. There are several clauses in the Constitution that are self-contradictory. Resolving the long infestering ethnic crisis, safeguarding democracy and upholding human rights are possible only under a constitutional reform. The clamour that only the Tamil and Muslim minorities will be affected under the proposed constitutuional reform is not justified. The reform will also affect small minority parties like the JVP, JHU and others. The Parliament which will be transformed into a Constituent Assembly will have to take into consideration the interests of all sections of the people during its deliberations for constitutional reform and it will certainly not take decisions that will be detrimental to the minorities. If that is done we will not remain passive observers. We will not let them down. "Aside from that, there are proposals for the establishement of a Delimitation Committee which could ensure demarcation of constituencies to ensure an adequate number of parliamentary representation in respect of the minorities. "If all Muslim parliamentarians are to work for the interests of only the Muslim community, it would be possible only under an administration similar to what is prevailing under the LTTE in the North and East. "Constitutional reform through a Constituent Assembly is a long processs. We have clearly told the Government that equity of powers to the Muslims, parallel to what would be given to the LTTE under a final solution, should be ensured." |
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