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•  JHU rejects offer to join government

CBK pledges a dharmarajya

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema 

President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week agreed to govern Sri Lanka as a dharmarajya and invited the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to join the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and give it a stable majority in parliament.

The President made her pledge and extended the invitation to the JHU at a confidential meeting held at BMICH on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. The meeting was held between the President and the six members of the Supreme Sangha Council of the JHU, Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Nayaka Thero, Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, Ven. Kolonnawe Sri Sumangala Thero, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Nayaka Thero and Ven. Kotapola Amarakeerthi Thero.

The meeting was to be originally held at the Asapuwa at Sulaiman Terrace, Colombo 5, but was later shifted due to security reasons cited by the President. The meeting followed extensive discussions Presidential Adviser Mano Tittawela had with the JHU.

The Sunday Leader learns that the President has also agreed to have parallel peace talks, one with the LTTE and the other with civic groups and political parties to arrive at a solution to the ethnic conflict.

Ven. Dhammaloka Thero said the JHU informed the President their support would be subject to the government ensuring a unitary state of Sri Lanka, an immediate demerger of the north and east, introduction of laws to ban unethical conversions within two months, the appointment of an independent media commission to monitor the state media, and the strengthening of independent commissions introduced under the 17th amendment.

The President it is learnt had in exchange solicited the support of the JHU for the election of alliance nominees for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker of parliament. Kumaratunga had told the monks that former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake will be nominated by the alliance for the speaker's post.

Both President Kumaratunga and Wickremanayake were at the center of a controversy earlier over a multi million-dollar fraud at the Rubber Manufacturing Corporation, which is under CID investigation.

Wickremanayake's statement has already been recorded in the course of this investigation and a senior JHU member said it was unlikely the Buddhist monks would even consider supporting the candidature of an individual even remotely connected to a fraud investigation.

The President at the meeting had also solicited the support of the JHU for the government's budget and the introduction of a new constitution through the mechanism of a constituent assembly.

General Secretary and Colombo District Leader, JHU, Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka confirmed to The Sunday Leader that the meeting with President Kumaratunga did take place and that she invited the JHU to join the government pledging to govern Sri Lanka as a dharmarajya in addition to soliciting their support on the election of speaker, passing the budget and to introduce a new constitution.

The JHU had however declined the President's invitation to join the government and said it would function independently and decide each issue on its merits.

"The President requested us to support the alliance on its nominees for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker and we asked her to first submit the names to us. Depending on the individual we would then decide on whether to support the respective nominee or not," Ven. Dhammaloka Thero said.

Ven. Dhammaloka Thero said that having understood the JHU's stance on the peace process and the LTTE's representation, the President had proposed to introduce parallel peace talks in order to involve civic groups in the process as well.

"The LTTE is not the sole representative of the Tamil people and we have said it clearly to the President. Other Tamil parties too should be involved in the process and the President understands that," Ven. Dhammaloka Thero said.

As for supporting a budget presented by the alliance government, Ven. Dhammaloka Thero said, "If the President governs the country according to a dharmarajya we would support its proposals. However, we must first see how the going is."

Ven. Dhammaloka Thero also said that the JHU would support the introduction of a constituent assembly in order to bring in a new constitution. However, he reiterated that the JHU too should be represented in such an assembly.

Spokesperson and Kalutara District Leader, JHU, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero also shared the same sentiments, adding that the JHU would function as advisers in case there would be a threat of a plot to topple the government.

Ven. Rathana Thero said they also took the opportunity to remind the President of the despicable manner in which the state media carried out a vilification campaign against the JHU during the elections. The President, the Thero said, had apologised for the conduct of the state media stating she was unaware of their conduct.

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