SLFP against JVPs 20th Amendment

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is against the 20th Amendment to the Constitution (20A) to abolish the Executive Presidency brought by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as a private member’s bill, Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya said yesterday.

Devapriya told the Daily News that there is no need to abolish the executive presidency or prunuing down more executive powers. He said that it is his personal opinion just as much as it is of the SLFP.

Devapriya pointed out that President Maithripala Sirisena has removed the executive powers of the Presidency to its maximum limits. Devapriya also pointed out that the majority of the public also believes that the executive presidency should remain.

Devapriya said that they do not want a Parliament where the Prime Minister has supreme powers. “In fact, it is the SLFP that should really request to abolish the Executive Presidency. We as a political party and late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike as a politician had to face repercussions of the executive presidency. However, we all know that we could not have won the war without an executive presidency,” Devapriya said.

On the same note, the Chief Minister also said that they are skeptical about the way certain groups in Northern areas and LTTE supportive diaspora operate.

He also said bringing in the 20th amendment to abolish the executive presidency could be an indirect support to a different political agenda. “Most of the political parties were unable to produce a leader to hold presidency. But, we, as the SLFP have provided such leaders and we have such leaders with us.”

Devapriya said that there has not yet being any party-level discussion with regards to the 20th amendment.

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution (20A) to abolish the Executive Presidency was presented by the JVP to the Attorney General (AG) and the Prime Minister (PM) last Thursday. Under the proposed 20th Amendment, the President will be appointed by Parliament, instead of a Presidential Election. The President will continue to be the Head of State and the Commander - in - Chief of the Armed Forces, but he will no longer be the Head of Government and the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers. The proposed 20th Amendment will be implemented only after the current term of office of President Maithripala Sirisena. As per the Draft Bill, the Head of Government and the Head of Cabinet of Ministers will be the Prime Minister.

The President’s powers are distributed among the Cabinet, Prime Minister, Constitutional Council and independent commissions. However, the President will continue to have the powers of appointing the Governors of Provinces as same as the 13th Amendment.

The President’s power to appoint Ambassadors and High Commissioners and grant pardon will be subject to Cabinet approval as per the proposed amendment.It will also remove the President’s power to prorogue Parliament.