Sri Lanka on Saturday began the process of formulating a new Constitution with President Maithripala Sirisena underlining the need for constitutional reforms aimed at achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community and preventing another ethnic war.

“We need a Constitution that suits the needs of the 21st century and make sure that all communities live in harmony,” Sirisena, who completed one year in office today, said in his address to the Parliament. Outlining the previous attempts in the island nation’s history to settle the Tamil issue through various forms of devolution, Sirisena said, “The extremists in the south and the north have caused the loss of thousands of young lives”.

“We must ensure reconciliation and harmony so that we will never go back to war.” “I believe now, through our past bitter experiences, we must prepare ourselves for future challenges,” he said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also spoke in the Parliament, presented a resolution to set a Constitutional Assembly (CA) made up of legislators, who would seek public input and make recommendations for a new Constitution.

In a special session, Wickremesinghe moved the resolution in Parliament to set up CA and a steering committee of 17 members to draft the new Constitution. “We will have the whole Parliament formulating the Constitution unlike the previous instances when the constitutions were drafted outside Parliament,” he said. The new Constitution will replace the current executive president headed constitution adopted in 1978.

Sirisena acknowledged the difficulty in drafting a constitution that would satisfy both sides – Sinhalese and Tamils. Sinhalese oppose a federal system that would ensure more political power for minority Tamils. Sirisena said he himself had opposed the India-mooted provincial councils system introduced in 1987 as a solution but later realised that it was “a good thing”.

He said a solution has to be found which will lead to lasting peace through consensus. “The move to set up the Constitutional Assembly was done with that aim,” he said. Sirisena, who was elected last year after his stunning electoral victory over strongman Mahinda Rajapaka, wants to abolish the present executive presidential system which for long has faced accusations of being authoritarian.

Sri Lankan troops in 2009 defeated the LTTE which was fighting for an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils. At least 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in just the final months of the civil war, according to a UN report. The Sri Lankan government has promised that it will investigate alleged war crime allegations against government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.

Sirisena’s predecessor Rajapaksa had antagonised both Tamil and Muslim minorities in order to appease the Sinhala majority.

The resolution moved in Parliament noted that there shall be a Committee of Parliament referred to as the “Constitutional Assembly” which shall consist of all MPs, for the purpose of deliberating on, and seeking the views and advice of the people, on a new constitution for Sri Lanka, and preparing a draft of a Constitution Bill for the consideration of Parliament.

It said the Speaker of Parliament will be the Chairman of the Constitutional Assembly and there will be seven Deputy Chairmen of the Constitutional Assembly, who shall be elected by the Constitutional Assembly. A Steering Committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairman), Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the House, the Minister of Justice, and not more than 11 other Members of the Constitutional Assembly will be appointed by the Constitutional Assembly.

Sirisena in his address denied opposition’s accusations that the new Constitution is being drafted to please the international community based on their advise. Sirisena, since coming to power, has reduced his presidential powers and strengthened key areas of governance by setting up independent commissions on police, judiciary elections and public service.

The falsehoods and uncalled for un –diplomatic utterances of Minister Rajitha Senaratne , the cabinet spokesman of the Sri Lanka (SL) government , has driven  the government of good governance  into a grave predicament and diplomatic faux pas internationally.

Lanka e news inside information division is in receipt of two such incidents  whose architect is no less a person than Rajitha Senaratne , who is also an important health  minister under the government of good governance .

The Diplomatic ties with  Nigeria at snapping point owing to Rajitha !

The first untwoward incident relates to the diplomatic agreement signed between Sri Lanka (SL) and Nigeria under the last government. Rajitha stated at a cabinet  media briefing that it pertains to the supply of arms to Bokoharam terrorists.

This  statement of the  cabinet spokesman was unfortunately  not contradicted  by the leader of the cabinet, president Maithripala Sirisena . Consequently , Nigeria had addressed a strong  letter contained in 6 pages expressing its disappointment on a diplomatic level . Later  an individual of the government of the highest echelons was met  by  an official representative of that country , who had also verbally condemned the SL cabinet spokesman’s utterances roundly when he met the government higher ups.

While the  country is fighting a war against the Bokoharam terrorists , the mendacious and misleading statement made by no less a person than a cabinet spokesman of SL himself has plunged the government into a huge embarrassment not only within  Sri Lanka   but even internationally, the Nigerian government  had pointed out. ( a statement made by a spokesman of the cabinet is construed as that country’s official statement )

Perhaps , Minister Rajitha and  president Maithripala are  thinking the diplomatic ties between SL and Nigeria are what were established during the Rajapakse era, but truly , these ties began in January 1970 towards the end of Dudley Senanayake era. Besides Nigeria is a commonwealth country. It is lamentable that minister Rajitha  made this rash statement , while president Maithripala Sirisena is the chairman of the commonwealth. If the ‘manjang’ (mendacious)  cabinet spokesman noted for his recklessness has no grey matter to  understand  that only  an ignorant  frog in the well would croak over the  agreement signed with that country , whether during the Rajapakse era or any other ,  at least the leader of the cabinet  , president Maithripala ought to have known better.  Sadly ,president too is   ignorant .

We are using the word ‘ mendacious’ on purpose, for this cabinet spokesman who is the epicenter of the diplomatic faux pas  , has on as many as 14 occasions lied brazenly. Yet President has failed to dismiss Rajitha from the position of cabinet spokesman and replace him with a suitable individual .( it is to be noted that president Maithripala has created an inglorious record as the president who appointed the most misfits to high ranking posts during the last ten months.)

Rajitha casts media freedom into dust bin and dumps journalists on the CID  fourth floor- whither good governance ?

While the government of good governance is plunged deeply in despair internationally owing to the cavernous mouth of reckless Rajitha , nationally too  the country is driven into chaos owing to  the statement made by him to the CID against the media.

Following the report in last weekend Sinhala newspaper regarding an interview relating to another individual , Rajitha has lodged a complaint with the CID headquarters  against the reporter who wrote the article and the editor of the newspaper . Based on the complaint the CID summoned the reporter and the editor.

It is very evident that these actions are reminiscent of the media freedom erosion and suppression during the Rajapakse era , and an index that same despotic  trend  is rearing its ugly head again.

If Rajitha was hurt over the report , he could have first notified the newspaper to rectify the error, if any. If that is not heeded, a complaint can be made to the Press council. If that is also not successful ,  the newspaper can be sued. When all these options are available ,  making a complaint to the CID and summoning the journalist for an alleged  wrongdoing reflects poorly on a government of good governance ,and such  things don’t happen in a country where truly there is   good governance.

Rajitha Senaratne despite being a most responsible minister and Cabinet spokesman acting most irresponsibly , has caused irretrievable damage to the country not only nationally but internationally too.

Currently  , the 2015  media suppression are  being rated in respect of   the countries of the world .  Rajitha’s rash and reckless conduct is going to affect SL ‘s ranking detrimentally . It is learnt that others of the government in the  high echelons are also thoroughly dismayed and disillusioned.

Might we recall when Mangala Samaraweera , Sripathy Sooriyaarachi and Wijedasa Rajapakse left the Rajapakse regime somewhere in 2006 after having understood the weaknesses and evils of the regime , to join with the opposition and work untiringly along with the people of the opposition in their struggle for nine years , Rajitha on the contrary stuck with the Rajapakses for the last 9 years serving and supporting them faithfully in all their crooked   and corrupt activities.

When Rajapakses hounded out and chased away the ex chief justice , it was Rajitha  who ‘heard’ the case. Rajitha who  somersaulted to the opposition at the latter stage (in the final  month ), surely cannot understand the aspirations of the people for good governance or the opposition struggle. Now he is conducting himself as an individual who is even above the president, while the latter  is behaving as if he is in the group mortally  scared of Rajitha.

The recent incident in which the president gave a phone call late in the night  to a son of a high profile minister , to inform  him not to criticize Rajitha in his face book , is a good illustration. In other words even   the  criticism of Rajitha in a page of the face book  of the youth is offending the president.

In any case the relevant  minister had given an answer to the president that was a ‘slap’ across the president’s face . The minister after  reminding the president on two recent unsavory episodes had stated to his face , ‘by these  alone you are unwittingly betraying that you are not the president of the country.’ ( we believe , for the moment these two episodes are not important  to be elaborated  to the people) .

In any case , the prime minister yesterday making a special announcement told in parliament that a counter rainbow revolution is  in motion . When the cabinet spokesman himself is supplying weapons locally and internationally (apart from provoking and fuelling  diplomatic disputes internationally) for these counter revolutions , the country being driven to the edge of a  precipice is inevitable and inescapable.

It is in old folk tales we have heard how a single foolish monkey of a good governance  King causes monumental destruction, but now we are witnessing that in reality . It is unfortunate  that the modern foolish monkey has been given the cabinet spokesman post in lieu of a sword .A foolish monkey wielding a Cabinet minister post of mordern times is much mre dangerous than a foolish monkey wielding a sword of ancient times.