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Sri Lanka Parliament debates new constitution

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A Buddhist monk shows Elite commandos how an attacker tried to throw a bomb at a meeting of Buddhist monks, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, August 6, 2000. None of the monks were hurt, who were discussing how to protest government moves to bring a new constitution. The three attackers missed the target, fell victims of their own bomb and were taken to the hospital. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)

August 8, 2000 

COLOMBO (AP) - The governing alliance lost one lawmaker and gained another as Parliament members switched sides Monday during the debate over a new constitution aimed at ending the Tamil separatist war.

To guard against Tamil rebel attacks during the crucial debate, air force helicopters brought some of the Parliament members from hotels, where they had spent the weekend.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga introduced the draft constitution last Thursday, offering greater autonomy to the country's 3.2 million Tamils to sideline the rebels who have fought 17 years for an independent homeland for the minority.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels have already rejected the proposed new constitution, saying it does not meet the aspirations of the Tamils for independence.

Kumaratunga needs 150 votes in the 225-member Parliament to push the constitution through. Her party has only 113 members. The opposition has accused her of trying to buy its lawmakers' votes with cash and houses.

As the debate got under way, Dixon J. Perera, a member of one of the president's allied parties, sat down with the main opposition United National Party (UNP), which has said it will not approve the new constitution. But moments later, Harendra Corea of the UNP joined the government's side.

A Buddhist monk inspects a damaged car at a site where attacks tried to throw a bomb at a meeting of Buddhist monks, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, August 6, 2000. None of the monks were hurt, who were discussing how to protest government moves to bring a new constitution. The three attackers missed the target, fell victims of their own bomb and were taken to the hospital. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Powerful Buddhist monks also oppose the draft constitution, saying it gives too many concessions to Tamils, who are mostly Hindu. About 200 monks protested against the constitution in downtown Colombo as the debate began.

Athuraliye Rathana, a monk and spokesman for the group, said three to 10 monks would starve themselves to death if Parliament passes the constitution.

"The final hour has come for all Buddhists to rise and protest this so-called new constitution," he told the protesters in the Fort area in the center of the capital.

He appealed to Buddhists to raise black flags and ring the prayer bells nonstop at the shrines that dot Colombo if Parliament approves the constitution.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that a new constitution would have to be submitted to a national referendum even if Parliament passes it.

Most of the Sinhalese majority are Buddhists. Both the present and the draft constitutions contain provisions requiring the government to maintain the superior status of Buddhism.

Police arrested two people Monday as suspects after a grenade attack Sunday night on a meeting of representatives from 46 groups of Sinhalese nationalists and Buddhist monks, who were making protest plans.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Daya Jayasundera said police were interrogating the two to find out their political affiliations.

Members of the left-wing People's Liberation Front chant anti-government slogans outside the Supreme Court in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, August 7, 2000. 10 political parties have called for an examination of recent amendments to the existing constitution. The government, in a bid to rally the support of main opposition lawmakers for its new constitution, said last week it was planning to change the electoral system and increase the numbers of seats in parliament. ( AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Police said Sunday that the grenade-throwing was not the work of the Tamil Tigers, who have fought a separatist war with the military since 1983 in which more than 62,000 people have died.

The vote, expected Wednesday, comes two weeks before Parliament's six-year term ends on Aug. 24. Fresh elections are expected in November.

Meanwhile, the government's move last Friday to increase the number of Parliament seats to 298, by seeking to amend the existing constitution, was challenged in the Supreme Court on Monday, by 10 small parties. They asked the court to give an opinion on the legality of the proposed amendment, saying the governing party plans to use the extra seats to lure opposition members into its ranks by promising them safe elections.

In Sri Lanka, parties, rather than individuals, contest elections, rather than individuals.