The Sihala Urumaya yesterday said that they were against the holding of a referendum but encouraged people to vote for the ‘kalaya’ to preserve the provision for unitary status in the country under the 1978 constitution.

Addressing a press conference, Leader of Sihala Ururumaya, Tilak Karunaratne said that there was no doubt that the 1978 constitution required several amendments but it also contained a salient feature which safeguarded the unitary status of the country. "Our stand is that we do not need a referendum but inspite of our opposition if the government goes ahead with it, then it is a question of saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and we have chosen to say ‘no" he said. Members of the Sihala Urumaya also opined that the proposed constitution was secret path to change the Sri Lanka into a federal state.

Meanwhile, the Sihala Urumaya will not support the impeachment motion against the President. "In our opinion it is useless trying to split hairs on what is in the constitution". Mr.Karunaratne said that the President has made use of loopholes in the constitution in her actions such as the prorogation of parliament, but there is a question of whether she has been unconstitutional and therefore the impeachment motion does not appear to have valid grounds.

He further added that there appeared to be faction even in the UNP on this matter and the Tamil parties appeared undecided.

However, putting forward the draft constitution at referendum after proroguing parliament poses a serious threat to parliamentary supremacy and a danger of a capitalist regime especially in a country where the government in power does not have a majority he said adding that it paved the way to pass the new constitution by a simple majority and not by the original two third.

He said that SU did not support the no confidence motion but only signed the letter addressed to the speaker to fix a date for the debate on the no confidence motion because they felt the UNP opposition was showing a democratic right by bringing forward the motion.

"We do not want to topple this government or bring the opposition to power that is no our position" Mr.Karunaratne said

SU supports the point that there is a threat to independence and parliamentary supremacy together with the joint opposition. But in answer to a question he said that SU was not aware of a joint opposition protest to be staged in Colombo today. MrKarunaratne maintained that the SU was never part of the joint opposition but only so on an ad hoc basis and would make their own independent decision when the time arose.

We believe the referendum is a secret path to change the unitary status of Sri Lanka into that of a federal state and we are against it, Secretary of Sihala Urumaya Champika Ranawaka said. If the government even at this point explains clearly to parliament what the features of the proposed constitution are, we will consider it he said. But we believe that the secret meetings representatives of the PA have been holding with minority parties are an attempt to obtain support for the referendum on the promise of a federal state.

Mr.Karunarate said that the NGO mafia who speak of a so called peace process were silent of this issue and the government appeared to be obtaining their support.

He also pointed out that the referendum will result in unnecessary expenditure to the tune of a total Rs.5 billion with publicity expenses, which the country cannot afford in the backdrop of an economic crisis. (HJ)