PM criticises media

15 January 2016 01:04 pm

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today asked the media which “went shopping” for the “18th Amendment, the Junta and G.L. Peiris” not to spoil the constitutional process.

“I’m telling the Daily Mirror which was a scab when journalists were killed in the North and South, to at least change now, since the Sun God has arrived,” he said at the National Thai Pongal Ceremony held in Jaffna.

“I’m not ready to make the Constitution with G.L. Peiris’ junta like how the 18th Amendment was created. Those who were defeated today cry about the importance of transparency. So I’m saying will make it openly with the 225. President Maithripala Sirisena said not to make it with a junta,” he said.

The Prime Minister said no constitutional draft had still been prepared and that it would only be done with the views collected from the people.
“The Constitutional Assembly will act in a transparent manner. It will collect views of the people and hold discussions with the provincial councils as well. That’s how the Constitution should be made,” he said adding that they were ready to devolve power and to establish democracy.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said they were taking action according to the Geneva Proposals which were passed unanimously and that action would be taken against those who had committed crimes, be it LTTE cadres or security forces' personnel.

He went on to note that the government was in the process of creating a mechanism to execute the Geneva proposals with inputs from Japan and South Africa to establish true reconciliation in the country. “We will establish a Compassionate Council headed by religious leaders in this endeavour,” he said.

Commenting on the presence of the security forces in the North and East, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he had spoken with the Tri-forces' Chiefs and that the Army Chief had said the presence of the army personnel would be gradually decreased in the area and deployed for duties in other areas.

He said the country needed a Sri Lankan security force which would consist of members of all communities. “The Police have already taken measures to recruit some 500 officers from the North and I have spoken with the State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardena to introduce cadet training at schools here,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said that the exiting Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was outdated and that if necessary the government would introduce a new one by mid this year, like the British law to face international terror threats. “I don’t think there will be any terror threat in Sri Lanka in the future,” he said.