7/26/2019 TNA Decides to Support Maithri

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 TNA decides to support Maithri

(Lanka-e-News-30.Dec.2014, .4!"M# The Ta$i%Nationa% A%%iance (TNA#, which e&tended its support to co$$on oppositioncandidate Maitripa%a 'irisena, said toda the e%ection o) a new presidentwou%d *e a positi+e step towards the e+o%ution o) a po%itica% so%ution to thenationa% uestion.

At a news con)erence at which the TNA stance was announced, part %eader. 'a$panthan said his part had not struck an e%ectora% dea% with the

opposition presidentia% candidate. n a state$ent issued at the newscon)erence it as )o%%ows

'tate$ent re%eased * the TNA

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Object1  The Ta$i% Nationa% A%%iance

(TNA# has /i+en care)u% consideration to the positions and pronounce$entso) the two $ain candidates at the upco$in/ "residentia% e%ection and hasa%so undertaken an e&tensi+e process o) consu%tation to hear the +iews o)the Ta$i% speakin/ peop%e, particu%ar% those in the North and ast. As thepo%itica% %eadership o) the Ta$i% peop%e in 'ri Lanka, we ha+e a historica%dut to /uide our peop%e and the wider citienr in the choice the wi%% *eca%%ed on to $ake at the e%ection.

 The +a%ues o) de$ocrac, /ood /o+ernance and ru%e o) %aw ha+e sueredunprecedented assau%t under the Mahinda aapaksa re/i$e. The $ostcritica% conseuences o) this assau%t are

1. 'ri Lanka5s ine&ora*%e $o+e toward dictatorship and tota%itarianis$,with the &ecuti+e "resident *eco$in/, in eect, the so%e repositor o) a%%powers o) /o+ernance. The re$o+a% o) the two ter$ %i$itation on the o6ceo) the "resident was c%ear% intended to perpetuate this dictatorship andauthoritarianis$.

2. The su*+ersion o) the independence o) the udiciar, particu%ar% o) the'upre$e 7ourt and the 7ourt o) Appea%, so as to render the udiciarsu*ser+ient to the &ecuti+e "resident. The i%%e/a% i$peach$ent o) the7hie) 8ustice on )ri+o%ous /rounds, and the nu$erous steps taken therea)ter

%eadin/ up to the udicia% deter$ination on the current "residentia% e%ectioni%%ustrate this rea%it. 9e are proud to note that the TNA reso%ute% opposedthe i/hteenth A$end$ent to the 7onstitution and the i$peach$ent o) the7hie) 8ustice inside and outside "ar%ia$ent, and are heartened that, e+en atthis sta/e, those who supported the i/hteenth A$end$ent andi$peach$ent ha+e had an opportunit to re:ect critica%% on those$istakes.

3. The de+a%uation o) "ar%ia$ent as a %e/is%ati+e and o+ersi/ht *od *

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the aapaksa re/i$e throu/h enticin/ opposition M"s to the /o+ern$ent* oerin/ $onetar induce$ents and e&ecuti+e posts, so as to achie+e atwo- thirds $aorit in "ar%ia$ent and eect +ita% constitutiona% chan/es. Asa conseuence, "ar%ia$ent has *eco$e a $ere appenda/e o) the &ecuti+e"resident, in +io%ation o) its constitutiona% ro%e.

4. The intentiona% +io%ation and su*seuent a*o%ition o) the 'e+enteenthA$end$ent to the 7onstitution, and with it the 7onstitutiona% 7ounci%,there* re$o+in/ the e&istin/ sche$e desi/ned to ensure independentappoint$ents to the 'upre$e 7ourt, 7ourt o) Appea%, 8udicia% 'er+ices7o$$ission, %ections 7o$$ission, "u*%ic 'er+ice 7o$$ission, "o%ice7o$$ission, ;u$an i/hts 7o$$ission, <ri*er 7o$$ission, and the=6ces o) the Attorne >enera% and Auditor >enera%. The de+a%uation o) thehi/her udiciar, "ar%ia$ent and )or$er% independent institutions hasresu%ted in the rep%ace$ent o) the ru%e o) %aw * the un)ettered ?at o) the&ecuti+e "resident.

!. The authoritarianis$ o) the &ecuti+e "resident has *een conso%idated* the restraints i$posed on the )ree $edia and ci+i% societ throu/hthreats and inti$idation@ the denia% o) the ri/ht to )reedo$ o) in)or$ation@and the i$punit with which the "resident and his su*ordinates )unction.

 The TNA there)ore *e%ie+es that it is essentia% )or the hea%th o) 'ri Lanka5sde$ocrac that the authoritarian and dictatoria% traector on which theaapaksa re/i$e has set the countr *e re+ersed ur/ent%.

 The aapaksa re/i$e has *een particu%ar% har$)u% to the we%%*ein/ o) the Ta$i% speakin/ peop%es o) 'ri Lanka. The TNA has *een co$$itted to the

e+o%ution o) a ust, reasona*%e, worka*%e and dura*%e po%itica% so%utionwithin the )ra$ework o) an undi+ided 'ri Lanka. 9e ha+e de?ned thecontours o) such a so%ution ora%% and in writin/ and pu*%ic% stated ourposition. Despite the opportunit presented * the end o) the ar$edcon:ict, the aapaksa re/i$e has si/na%% )ai%ed to en/a/e /enuine% in aprocess o) e+o%+in/ an accepta*%e po%itica% so%ution, e&cept to en/a/e indeceit)u% and di%ator e&ercises.

;undreds o) thousands o) Ta$i% speakin/ ci+i%ians disp%aced * the ar$edcon:ict in the North and ast ha+e not et *een resett%ed, reha*i%itated andpro+ided with housin/ and %i+e%ihood. nstead, tens o) thousands o) acres o)pri+ate %ands ha+e *een /ra**ed * the aapaksa re/i$e in the North andast, despite co$$it$ents $ade to the contrar in the 'upre$e 7ourt andin "ar%ia$ent. Now, such %and /ra*s are takin/ p%ace in other parts o) thecountr as we%%. Apart )ro$ the construction o) roads, *rid/es and *ui%din/sat e&or*itant costs which *urden the ta& paer, the aapaksa re/i$e hasre)used to re*ui%d the %i+es o) peop%e in the de+astated North and ast and)ai%ed to *rin/ an i$pro+e$ent to their ua%it o) %i)e. The Ta$i% speakin/popu%ation in the North-ast has *een su*ected to nu$erous other

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hardships the denia% o) %i+e%ihoods@ she%ter@ )ood@ se%)-respect@ phsica%sa)et, particu%ar% )or wo$en and chi%dren who ha+e *een tar/eted *se&ua% +io%ence@ and ustice in respect o) the dead, the inured, thedisappeared and those detained )or %on/ periods. The aapaksa re/i$e hason% *rou/ht pain and suerin/ to the Ta$i% speakin/ peop%es o) thiscountr.

nstead o) pursuin/ reconci%iation, the aapaksa re/i$e has per$ittede&tre$ist /roups to carr out attacks a/ainst $inorit peop%es and theirp%aces o) re%i/ious worship. The re/i$e5s inaction in the )ace o) racist+io%ence and hate speech is su//esti+e o) its co+ert co$p%icit in theseattacks.

t is in the tota%it o) this *ack/round that the "residentia% %ections takep%ace. 9e ha+e taken note o) and we%co$e the 7o$$on =pposition7andidate5s undertakin/s, a$on/st others, to a*o%ish the &ecuti+e"residenc, repea% the i/hteenth A$end$ent, restore independent

co$$issions and /uarantee pri$ac to the ru%e o) %aw. The TNA *e%ie+esthat /enuine restoration o) de$ocrac to the countr wi%% on% *e$eanin/)u%% achie+ed when the 'ri Lankan state is structured toacco$$odate the aspirations o) a%% its di+erse peop%es to $eanin/)u%%access state power, and when a%% 'ri Lanka5s citiens are treated eua%%.9e sincere% hope that in the new consu%tati+e and consensus *asedpo%itica% cu%ture that wou%d e+o%+e pursuant to the +ictor o) the 7o$$on=pposition 7andidate, de$ocrac wi%% *e restored to the who%e countrthrou/h /ood )aith ne/otiations *etween a%% stakeho%ders with a +iew toensurin/ a %i)e o) eua%it, ustice, di/nit and se%)-respect )or a%% 'ri Lanka5s

peop%es.

 The e&perience o) our peop%e has *een that the stru//%e )or de$ocraco+er dictatorship is ine&trica*% %inked to the pursuit o) our $ost cherished+a%ues eua%it, ustice, di/nit and )reedo$. 9e there)ore ca%% on a%%citiens to turn out in /reat nu$*ers and de)eat the Mahinda aapaksare/i$e * castin/ their +ote in )a+or o) the 7o$$on =pposition 7andidateMaithripa%a 'irisena and the 'wan s$*o%

---------------------------* (2014-12-30 13142#

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