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| Sunday, 22 September 2002 |
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Anti-peace groups target 19th Amend. by S. Selvakumar Authoritative governmental sources revealed yesterday that the move behind the challenge to the 19th amendment to the Constitution that seeks to curb the Presidential power to dissolve Parliament after one year has a hidden agenda aimed at scuttling the ongoing peace process to find a lasting solution to the country's two decade old ethnic conflict. In the event of a dissolution the peace talks will come to a standstill, sources further said. The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) has already petitioned the Supreme Court seeking an order on the legality of the draft Constitution presented in Parliament last week by Justice Minister W. J. M. Lokubandara. Several anti-peace lobbyists are also gearing to challenge the same in the Supreme Court, sources revealed. "It is their intention to prolong the matter pending a ruling by the highest court in the land" sources further said. When contacted by the Sunday Observer, former Chief Justice G. P. S. de Silva said that there is a time frame to petition the Supreme Court on the matter and all that is clearly laid down in the Constitution. Former Supreme Court Judge Justice M. Jameel when asked said that in the event of more than one party challenging the Bill to amend the Constitution, all such applications will be listed together and heard as one joint application before determining the validity of the move. There is a time limit and once the applications are received within the time frame, the Supreme Court will call for submissions before conveying its order" Justice Jameel added. Sources further said that there was only one application before the first round of peace talks commenced in Thailand with Norwegian mediation. Now several other anti-peace lobbyists are in consultation with their lawyers to challenge it from all fronts thus to delay the whole process. "The first round of successful talks held in Thailand has irked these anti-peace activists and now left without any option and fearing that the talks would succeed are attempting to nip it in the bud or to delay it further thus buying time for the President to dissolve Parliament come December 5" sources further revealed. |
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