leading buddhist forum against abolition of Executive Presidency

The Buddhasasana Karya Sadhaka Balakaya in a statement said that the Executive Presidency should not be abolished without repealing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The organisation in a statement signed by Ven. Diviyagaha Yasassi Thera, Ven. Thrikunamale Ananda Thera and Ven. Agalakada Sirisumana Thera states that the abolition of the Exeucitve Presidency would be dangerous without repealing the 13th Amendment.

The statement said if the Provincial Ministers exercise their powers in a manner that was illegal or detrimental to the State, in such an instance, the President can intervene and give necessary orders to correct them.

“If the Presidential system is abolished while maintaining the provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the Central Government will not be able to intervene as before,” the statement added.

The Buddhasasana Karyasadhaka Mandayala said that there should not be a division of the people’s executive powers between the Cabinet of Ministers and the Council of Ministers of the Provincial Council.

“If the Council of Ministers of the Provinces is maintained under the 13th Amendment, it should be done subject to the powers of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers,”the statement said.

“The rights of the minorities living the North and the East will not be protected by only having the power to dissolve a provincial Council on a special occasion with the President.

“We can imagine how some Provincial Councils would act when the Executive Presidency is abolished by looking at how some of the Provincial Councils are acting now.

“The President should have full powers to control any untoward action of the Northern Provincial Council and its Chief Minister. Since the Cabinet Ministers cannot exercise powers on subjects mentioned in the Provincial Council List, the President should be able exercise those powers when a necessity arises.

“It is with sadness that we note that the needs of separatists who want to establish a Federal State in Sri Lanka and the Western Powers influence certain decisions of the government. The current Constitutional drafting process is a good example for this. While we strongly oppose any move to dilute the Unitary Status or to introduce a Federal System, we request all political parties not to abolish the Executive Presidential system without amending the 13th Amendment to the Constitution”.