Extremists attempt to create constitutional scaremonger

SATURDAY, 09 JANUARY 2016

Extremists in the North as well as in the South are attempting to create a constitutional scaremonger, the country would not go forward in such moves says President Maithripala Sirisena.

This was said by the President addressing the Parliament after the resolution to form the constitutional council was presented in Parliament.  Speaking further the President said certain elements in the opposition derange the country by spreading false stories that a constitution is being compiled with foreign instructions and he asked such people not to create confusion in the country.

The President said foreign assistance or instruction is not necessary to compile a constitution that suits the country.

Some say executive presidency should be maintained as the war was ended by the executive presidency. However, the hidden meaning of such statements is that they expect another war said the President. He said it is necessary to act to eliminate attitudes that promote anything that leads to another war.

The President said some people in the North are scared of the word ‘unitary’ and some others in the South are scared of the word ‘federal’ and evading such a situation is the task of the era added the President.

The President emphasized that lessons should be learnt from the uprising in 1971, black july in 1983, uprising in 88-89 and recommendations of Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and added that the country cannot go forward ignoring such events.