Voting for the 18th Amendment was a mistake – Ven. Rathana Thero

By Basuru Jayawardhana - Lanka Herald

Chairman of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Convener of the Pivithuru Hetak organization, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero told Lanka Herald in an interview that common candidate Maithripala Sirisena has already won. “It was sealed when he took the decision to leave the government and his post of Secretary of the SLFP,” the Thero said. Ven. Rathana Thero also noted that it was upon the stance of Jathika Hela Urumaya that the “Pivithuru Hetak” organization had taken steps to create a common candidate.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: Is the Jathika Hela Urumaya directly supporting Maithripala Sirisena who has come forward as the common candidate of the Opposition? Or will it be done through the “Pivithuru Hetak” Organization?

A: It was upon the stance of Jathika Hela Urumaya that the “Pivithuru Hetak” organization took steps to create a common candidate. So for the moment we are standing with Maithripala Sirisena. But it is only going to be certain in the future if we sign the policy agreement with him. As a party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya will announce its official stance on Thursday. After that we are looking forward to entering in to an agreement with Sirisena regarding what to do in the future.

Q: What kind of policy agreement is the JHU expecting?

A: It would be based on common issues such as abolishing the executive presidency, re-establishing the democracy and protecting the country’s sovereignty.

Q: What was the reason for initiating the “Pivithuru Hetak” movement?

A: One of the preliminary reasons for creating this organization was to from a national economic policy which is more suitable for the country. About two years ago a severe problem erupted with regards to chemical fertilizers and pesticides that contain highly toxic elements called Arsenic and Cadmium. So we suggested initiating a program to control these chemicals. Later the World Health Organization also made a similar proposition. But the government continued to evade this problem. So we thought about alternative agriculture. So the “Pivithuru Hetak” movement was initially formed to raise the awareness of the public regarding matters such as reforming the economy and producing our won energy. But about five or six months ago we thought about the discussion that took place in the society about the presidential election and abolishing the executive presidency. For that we presented a scheme to achieve that goal. So within the society we became known as a group that had brought forward a constitutional amendment. It was with the intention of urging the government to amend certain powers vested with the executive presidency we initially drafted this plan.

Q: But the draft 19^th Amendment presented by you does not entirely abolish the executive presidential system. What was the reason behind such a move?

A: Yes. By that we hope only to amend certain powers that are vested with the executive president. But the office of the President is not harmed. It simply means that the Executive would no longer be able to make have an undue control over the legislature and the judiciary. So we only wish to chop off the bad parts of this office. We hope to engage in a broad discussion regarding the matter in the future. In it we are hoping to table a proposition about abolishing the entire office of the president all together as well. But we have to discuss and see what is more suitable.

Q: You voted in favour of the 18^th Amendment presented by President Rajapaksa to expand his powers. Why is that?

A: There were many problems regarding the 18^th Amendment. Not only that, the government even promised us to draft a three stage proposition to reduce the powers of the president. But the problem is that they have failed to keep their word. I have publicly declared that voting in favour of the 18^th Amendment was a mistake of mine.

Q: There were many media reports about a group of government MPs who are planning to cross over to the opposition in the final vote of the 2015 budget debate. But no such thing happened. What is the reason for this?

A: It is like this. Leaving the government and joining the opposition is not an easy task. People who are leaving the government and those who don’t do not affect us. Maithripala Sirisena has now joined with us even sacrificing his ministerial position. Now the thing we have to discuss is what to next. Several ministers have already joined with us. And the next leap could be achieved if we continue Sirisena’s project successfully. We too are expecting some unexpected things in the oncoming days. And even if it does not happen to our favour, it is not that much of a problem to us. It is because we have something to question from President Rajapaksa at the end. And we should all rally around this question we are raising. And when we march forward all the political parties like the UNP, JVP and the JHU are coming to a common platform. And once this common platform is built, this number of MPs who are crossing over is not going to be a problem. But still, if such cross over incidents take place, it would not be bad either.

Q: What interventions will the “Pivithuru Hetak” organization make to secure Maithripala Sirisena’s victory?

A: Currently we are conducting a sting of public meetings. Several other plans have already been made along with that. It contains a lot of activities. They will become evident in the near future.

Q: How confident are you of Maithripala Sirisena’s victory?

A: One need not give a special certificate for it. It is a known fact to the whole country. Even at this moment he has achieved victory. It was sealed when he took the decision to leave the government and his post of Secretary in the SLFP.

Q: Would Maithripala Sirisena ever try to take President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who even you are considering as the leader of the war victory, to an international war crimes tribunal?

A: Not at all, we are totally against such a thing. We would never support the idea of taking the president before a war crimes tribunal.

Q: Why are you against it?

A: Why should we take the person who defeated the terrorism in this country in to a war crimes tribunal?

Q: But the President has been accused of incidents such as massacring civilians and violating human rights during his actions of defeating terrorism, is it not?

A: In what country was it possible to defeat terrorism without the cost of lives? This accusation about killing civilians is a total hoax. President Rajapaksa executed the biggest humanitarian operation ever to be made in this world.

Q: So if the operation was entirely “humanitarian” in nature, why do you claim that the President should not be subjected to a trial? Why was the LLRC recommendations not implemented?

A: We do not need an international war crimes tribunal. Foreign countries cannot intervene with the questions regarding a certain country’s sovereignty. About 6% of the Iraqi population has been massacred. Who is talking about that?

Q: What is the stance of the JHU regarding the 13^th Amendment and its implementation?

A: We are not going to talk about it at the moment. It would be make things complicated and mixed up. The most important issue we have at the moment is not about implementing or not implementing the 13^th Amendment, but whether to amend or not the arbitrary powers of the executive that cause corruption and wastage. First things first, that’s how we see it.