President’s power diluted under 19th Amendment – Minister G.L. Peiris
Responsibility without authority is the main flaw in the structural framework of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said.
He was responding to a question by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament yesterday as to why the Government is so scared of the 19th Amendment.
“According to the Constitution, the primary duty of the President of the country is to ensure its security. However, according to the 19th Amendment, despite the President coming to power with 6.9 million votes, he cannot hold the Defence Ministry portfolio. But the President is the head of the security forces and the Police. Then, how can he ensure national security if he does not have the police or security forces under his control? The President is entrusted with these responsibilities, but he does not have the power or authority to practically implement any mechanism as he cannot hold the Defence Ministry portfolio under him,” the Minister said.
He said that the 19th Amendment was in force over the past four years, but in all honesty, asked if the country can be content with its effects. Is this experience one that has been good for the country?
Referring to an article in a weekend newspaper where former Secretary to President Sirisena, Austin Fernando had done a review of the 19th Amendment, he said this review is very relevant as Fernando, as the Secretary to the President had access to everything that had taken place during that period. He was an insider. Moreover, he was not someone who left that position over any dispute. He subsequently took up the post of Sri Lanka High Commissioner to New Delhi. He clearly states that during that period and under that system, not a single official could carry out their duties properly. Even the evidence being released before the Presidential Commission investigating the Easter attacks, is very scary. Austin Fernando stated that under that system, there were no provisions for investigations, or proper mechanisms to be implemented. MP Manusha Nanayakkara said in Parliament that this is true, but attributed it to the dispute between the two leaders at the time. However, I see it as a more complex issue. Yes, the main issue was the differences of views between the two leaders, differences in policies and ideologies, but the problem was much deeper,” the Minister said.
Minister Peiris said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected with 6.9 million votes. “But despite his clear mandate how can he deliver? He cannot hold the Defence portfolio. But he is responsible for maintaining the law and order of the country. How can he deliver if he cannot even dismiss the Inspector General of Police?” the Minister asked.
He noted that the centrepiece of the 19th Amendment was the Constitutional Council. “It is the Constitutional Council that appoints all the supposedly independent commissions. Yet Javed Yusuf who was a member of that Constitutional Council had openly asked people not to vote for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), claiming that it would be a disaster if the people voted for us. He engaged in a massive effort to promote one part while trying to put down another. Well, he has the right to do so as an independent citizen, yet as a member of the esteemed Constitutional Council, he has a greater responsibility. The irony is that despite the President changing, government changing and parliament change after elections, no one has the right to remove Yusuf from his post until October 2021 when his term ends.”
Responding to Opposition Leader Premadasa, he said that checks and balances are good and should be there but should also be flexible otherwise if the system is too rigid there would be a gridlock. Peiris said that the main advantage in having the Executive Presidency is to ensure political stability. “The Executive Presidency was established in this country so that the Government could function smoothly without any instability despite numerous storms within Parliament. He noted that the people elect a president to power, but if that president is not given the space and power to carry out his duties, there is no point as he would be unable to fulfill his promises to the people.”
He replied to MP Rauff Hakeem’s statement yesterday that the Government has introduced clauses into the 20th Amendment that was not disclosed to the Opposition. He added that the Government has no intention of doing anything underhand and everything that is in the 20th Amendment is exactly what has been made available to the Opposition. He also assured that the 20th Amendment in no way dilutes the powers vested with Parliament.
He said that a dual citizen is also a citizen of this country and should have equal rights as every other citizen without discrimination. Even the Supreme Court recognises this. He said that according to the law, only a person who has the right to vote can contest an election.
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SJB has gone before Supreme Court against Capital Punishment – Minister Ali Sabry
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) members have gone before Supreme Court against the implementation of the Capital Punishment while the party maintains same punishment should be implemented, Justice Minister Ali Sabry said in Parliament yesterday.
He said this when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament that the SJB maintained the position that the Capital Punishment should be implemented.
Sajith was taking part in the second reading stage debate on the draft bill of the 20th Amendment.
Justice Minister Ali Sabry asked Sajith Premadasa if it was his personal stance or that of his party.
Opposition Leader Premadasa said that they did not have a personal standpoint. “We have party standpoints,” Sajith Premadasa said.
“That is good now we know that your party’s position is to implement the death penalty,” Justice Minister Sabry said.
“I do not know why the Justice Minister opposes implementing death penalty against terrorists and drug dealers,” Sajith Premadasa said.
“That is fine because your own party men had gone before Supreme Court against the implementation of the Capital Punishment,” Justice Minister said. “We can take down this as your position”.
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Voters taught good lesson to those who brought 19th Amendment – Minister Abeygunawardena
The voters have taught a good lesson to those who brought the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Kalutara District Parliamentarian , Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena yesterday said.
He was speaking in the second stage debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill in Parliament.
Minister Abeygunawardena said that Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Dissanayaka said that the most unsuccessful politicians in the history are Maithri and Ranil during the Good Governance Government tenure.
“However, Anura deliberately attempts to forget that he was an integral part of the establishment of the Good Governance Government.
The United National Party (UNP); the main contributor, could not elect a single MP, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), too, suffered such a loss, the JVP vote base dropped to less than 3 per cent. The architect of the 19th Amendment was Ranil, and he was swept out of politics. Even Mangala Samaraweera, and Ravi Karunanayake faced the same fate. All those reaped what they sowed,” he said.
He queried if the 19th Amendment was constructive, would the people do so.
“They said that the 19th Amendment was brought to bring in Good Governance and eradicate corruption,” Abeygunawardena said. “But while 19th Amendment was being drafted, Ranil imported Arjuna Mahendran and Treasury Scam was committed. Although they talked of auditing, Mahendran left the country with the help of Ranil,” he said.
The MP said that although Opposition said clauses on auditing in 19th Amendment to Constitution was commendable, it was false. “Tell us a single thief who was arrested under provisions of 19th Amendment,” Abeygunawardena challenged, “They could not as Mahendran too left the country.”
He said that the Opposition was speaking of the Constitutional Council as commendable. “But Vijitha Herath, too, was a member of the Constitutional Council that appointed IGP Poojitha Jayasundara.
The Election Commissioner was very independent before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that he instructed to shoot any on head who attempted election violence to ensure free and fair election. But after the 19th Amendment, he could not hold at least local government elections on time and delayed it more than three years.
“The so called independent Election Commission member Hoole openly said not to vote the SLPP,” MP Abeygunawardena said. “But there were no provisions in the 19th Amendment to take actions against those wrongdoers,” he said. He said that under these grounds this deformed 19th Amendment to Constitution should be reversed by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
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Ranil brought 19A to prevent what former President Chandrika did when he signed ceasefire agreement – Minister Weerawansa
Former Good Governance Government Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe brought the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to prevent the recurring what former President Chandrika Kumaratunga did when she signed the ceasefire agreement with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Prabhakaran, as the then Prime Minister, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament yesterday.
He said that former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe feared that former President Mithripala Sirisena, too, would do the same and brought the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. It was not to establish democracy but to gain the political power that he could not gain by way of elections. He added, however, he added few constructive features to market the 19th Amendment and even to enable the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to canvass the same.
He was speaking in the second reading debate on the 20th Amendment Bill.
Minister Weerawansa said that hence the Audit Commission, repeal of the Urgent Bill procedure and disqualifying those with dual citizenship election as MPs and the President, were introduced to the 19th Amendment to market it and not for the betterment of the people. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took measures to retain the Audit Commission, and to repeal the Urgent bill procedure except for matters pertaining to national security and national disasters. He promised to introduce the dual citizenship restrictions with a wide aspect in the new Constitution.
Minister Weerawansa said that Ranil Wickremesinghe transferred the power of removal of the IGP and the Attorney General from the President to Parliament to make his hunting easy. He set up the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). At the President’s Commissions on Easter Sunday Attack recently Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted that the FCID was illegal. However, during the Good Governance Government, few went before the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the FCID. However, the Court laid the document by and nobody knows the judgment so far. If the Judiciary was independent then, would it happen?” Minister Weerawansa queried. “We saw in Duminda Silva’s case, Duminda was shot at first and fell. Subsequently, Duminda’s guard shot Baratha Lakshman and he died. However, the guard was acquitted and Duminda was sentenced to death,” he said.
He said that leaked sound tracks of Ranjan Ramanayake revealed how he urged the judges to sentence Duminda and a judge asked for a promotion. “If the judiciary was independent, would something such as that happen?” Minister Weerawansa asked. “We don’t know which judges those politicians influenced,” the Minister said.
He said that the Constitution in 1978 was brought to introduce an executive leader to facilitate open economy. “However, after around two decades when the minus repercussions of the open economy is visible, the foreign western forces encourage such countries to introduce democracy based ruling systems such as 19th Amendment to the Constitution, and federal systems to make it easy for them to make us their victim, he said.
He said that those foreign forces urge such countries to pass the executive powers to groups who are not answerable to the people. “In the 19th Amendment, too, this happened, that the members of the Constitutional Council are not answerable to the people whereas the President is,” Minister Weerawansa said. “Most of them were appointed by the Prime Minister and the executive powers were transferred into their hands. Most of them were NGO affiliated persons,” he said.
Minister Weerawansa said that the executive powers vested on the President by the people by way of an election are unable to be transferred and should be exercised for the betterment of the people but the 19th Amendment made Maithripala Sirisena just a peon.
He said that the former Singaporean Prime Minister Li Quan U spoke of three Ds in building up Singapore, which are Discipline, Development and then the third Democracy. “But in Sri Lanka we have misleadingly brought democracy to the top and ended up in a labyrinth of chaos,” Minister Weerawansa said. “So we have to say enough to this lie and should strengthen the State by way of a Constitution and the 20th Amendment is a prelude to it until we introduce the new one,” the Minister said.
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No problems in Sri Lanka as serious as Tamil national problem – Sumanthiran
Sri Lanka has had many problems but none as serious as the Tamil national problem and it ought to be resolved by means of an agreed Constitution, TNA Jaffna District MP M. A. Sumanthiran said. Sumanthiran was speaking in the debate on the second reading of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament yesterday.
Sumanthiran said that they have agreed for oneness but the agreement to live as one country cannot be in terms of one of the communities. “Out of the 20 Amendments that had come to this House, only the 17th and the 19th Amendments were voted for by over 200 votes, why? That is because those had the total approval of the people for a democratic country. The Constitution is the supreme law, but it is also a social contract, a compact by which all the people of this country agreed to live together; if there’s no such compact there’s nothing to hold the country together. I ask every single member of the opposition to stand up straight and defeat this Bill,” he said
The MP said that some of the powers that had been vested with Parliament and Judiciary by the 19th Amendment are being transferred to the Executive Presidency by the 20th Amendment paving the way for autocracy. “A sense of déjà vu comes to my mind as I stand up. Ten years back on Sept 8, 2010, when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution moved in this House, I spoke at length and I expressed my dismay. In April, 2015 when the 19th Amendment was brought up I stated that I did not expect to dismantle the 18th Amendment by the very same Parliament, which had passed it. Today before us is the 20th Amendment and the process has completed its full circle. We are trying to remove the 19th Amendment and going back to the 18th Amendment effectively,” he said.
MP Sumanthira said that he registers his opposition to the Bill before them because this is in the wrong direction. “Out of the 20 Amendments that came to this House and affected the Constitution, there are two Amendments that had more than 200 members voting for them. That was the 17th Amendment, which was passed here with one member abstaining and the 19th Amendment that had been passed with only one member voting against it. Sarath Weerasekera voted against it. Although I do not agree with his standpoint then and today, I should respect Sarath Weerasekera for consistency he had shown in opposing the 19th Amendment then and now. The others cut very sorry figures here today, having raised their hands for propositions that are diametrically opposite, in opposite directions. That is the vicissitudes of politics, they might say, but it is not honourable conduct. When the 17th and 19th Amendments were passed, why was almost the whole House voted for them? It did not happen with any other amendments. Because those amendments had the total approval of people of this country and their opinion that this country must remain democratic. Messy as it is, democracy was chosen. But that was the right path. Democracy is messy, costly and time consuming in its deliberations, but that is the path that we should take. I vividly remember that discussions we had in and outside the Chamber and how the committee stage dragged till midnight with the then Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe led us through explaining the content of that Bill. So many amendments were moved from the opposition side by Dinesh Gunawardena, Prof. Tissa Vitarana and Vasudeva Nanayakkara. All but one got together and agreed to those amendments. I agree that the incumbent Justice Minister quoted me as saying that I conceded that there were problems with the 19th Amendment. Yes, I agree that the 19th Amendment has some snags. The 19th Amendment was the first step in the process towards abolishing the Executive Presidency. There had been a consensus in this country since the mid-1990s to abolish the Executive Presidency. For a quarter of a century, the country had repeatedly granted mandates to remove the Executive Presidency. The 19th Amendment created two centres of power as it reduced some powers of the Executive Presidency. But that was only a temporary measure because it was meant to move forward towards democracy,” he said.
“This country did not give a mandate to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to strengthen the Executive Presidency. The mandate was given to do away with the 19th Amendment, which had problems. Those problems have to be identified, and those ought to have been corrected. You do not have to go in reverse gear, you do not have to travel in the opposite direction of democracy towards the direction of autocracy. That is wrong and that wrong is done by this Amendment. That is why we oppose it,” Sumanthiran said.
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Failed socio-economic-political situation should not be blamed upon Constitution – Anura Kumara
Country’s failed socio-economic-political situation should not be blamed upon a Constitution, National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said.
Dissanayake said that the failure of the Yahapalana regime should not be equated with the 19th Amendment. “The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was practised with two of the weakest political leaders in recorded political history, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena. If it was practised under a responsible leadership, 19th Amendment would have recorded better success,” Dissanayake said.
Dissanayake was speaking in the debate on the draft bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
Dissanayake said that they do agree that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution had its own shortcomings. “However, its core intention was to strengthen democratic governance. If we are getting rid of the loopholes of the 19th Amendment, we need to orient our attempt towards a more comprehensive democratic framework. For example, Professor G.L. Peiris said that members of the Constitutional Council cannot be removed. So the optimum amendment should be to increase the number of reasons that allow the removal of such a CC member. That is strengthening. But if you are removing the whole of the CC, that is not an act of strengthening democracy. The 19th Amendment was taken into practice under two of the worst political leaders ever in Sri Lanka’s political history. The 19th Amendment would have been a success if practised under a responsible leadership. So blaming the failure of two horrible political leaders upon the 19th Amendment to the Constitution is unfair. Failure of the rulers should not be blamed upon the country’s Constitution. It is politically incorrect. Issues in this country are not a problem of a Constitution but how the rulers have acted over these decades. It was the Executive Presidency that had a destructive power which did as it fancied. That is how J.R. Jayewardene expelled trade union activists, prohibited political parties, opted for an open economy and a series of such misconducts. So this socio-economic-political chaos is not created by the Constitution. We as a political party believe in partial centralisation of power. However, this centralisation should be done to a structure, an institution, a group, such as the House, the Cabinet, not to an individual.”
Dissanayake was also critical of a new provision introduced by the 20th Amendment concerning the appointment of ministry secretaries. According to Dissanayake, this new provision enables a ministry secretary appointed by the Executive Presidency to be absorbed into the government service after concluding his or her service as the ministry secretary. “For example, if a military personal is appointed as a ministry secretary by the Executive President, which is legal, Dissanayake said.”
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Dual citizenship issue will be resolved in new Constitution – Minister Weerawansa
The matter of dual citizenship would be included in the new Constitution that is to be presented next year with a wide aspect without targeting one person or a particular family as it was in the 19th Amendment by the former UNP Good Governance Government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament yesterday.
He said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised in a discussion with a group of MPs on Wednesday that the new Constitution would be presented next year and it would include provisions disqualifying persons with dual citizenship to be elected as President, MPs and to high ranking officers in the civil service to protect the interest of the country. He said that he trusted the President and wholeheartedly would support the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
He was speaking in the second reading debate on the 20th Amendment Bill.
Minister Weerawansa said that in the countries like France, Egypt, Israel, Australia, Rumania, Estonia, Latvia, Lituania, too, disqualify persons being elected to Parliament with dual citizenships but with a wide aspect in respect of the country and the nation.”But here the 19th Amendment had it to avenge the Rajapaksas,” Minister Weerawansa said. “
Ranil Wickremesinghe included ‘no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice’ in the 19th Amendment to prevent Mahinda Rajapaksa from contesting again. The dual citizenship matter was included to prevent two of his brothers contesting at the Presidential election and other elections,” he said.
Minister Weerawansa said that the psychological reason behind the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was a personal matter of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He added that that the new Constitution would be presented next year and it would include provisions disqualifying persons with dual citizenship to be elected as President, MPs and to high ranking officers in the civil service to protect the interest of the country. He also added that it would be a Constitution that could last for hundreds of years unlike the 1978 Constitution that needed patches from time to time.
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Twentieth Amendment is partial fulfillment of election promise – Minister Gammanpila
The 20th Amendment to the Constitution is a partial fulfillment of an election promise by the Government, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said. Likewise, a new Constitution will soon be drafted, Gammanpila added.
Colombo District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Minister Udaya Gammanpila was speaking in the debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament yesterday.
Gammanpila said that different international countries have adopted their own versions of democracy. “I have always held the opinion that we need a strong Executive Presidency. What we have now as the 19th Amendment to the Constitution is abnormal. The 1978 Constitution itself is abnormal.
It is a bad pickle of many foreign Constitutions. The 19th Amendment added more absurdity to the already abnormal Constitution.
During Yahapalana rule, there were three governing parties. One was the President, another was the Prime Minister and the last one was the Speaker of the House along with the Constitutional Council. When these three pulled towards different directions, the country was not able to move forward. From 2015 to 2019, this was what happened, the country was stagnant. National security fell apart.
Every leader was passing the ball to the other and playing the blame game. No one stepped forward to take the responsibility. Not having a central power was the main fault, which was created by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. It was literature like a salad,” he said.
Gammanpila said that not only the national security, the economy also collapsed during 2015-2019 rule while allowing the drug mafia and underworld to rise.
“If you don’t believe in what we say, check out the research paper prepared by the Heritage Foundation, which is a research institution in America with affiliations to their Republican Party in 2019. The paper is titled ‘Sri Lanka, a test case for the free and open indo-pacific strategy’. This paper very clearly suggests that one of the main reasons why Sri Lanka was stagnant during 2015-2019 was conflict between the President and the Prime Minister. Right now, we have two brothers in these positions.
They are friendly and cooperative like Kiri-Pani (Curd and Treacle). But a Constitution is a long standing document. We do not know how the future would be.
Opposition still has not learnt how disastrous the 19th Amendment was. People understood it.
That is why they gave us a two thirds majority. We promised that we will secure the good characteristics of the 19th Amendment. Right now the only issue we have is concerning dual citizenship. We hope that we can get it solved as well. We shall always stand by our people,” the Minister said.
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Minorities will not be affected by 20th Amendment – MP Devananda
The minority communities will definitely not be marginalised by the President being given executive powers under the 20th Amendment, EPDP Leader MP Douglas Devananda said.
He was speaking in the 20th Amendment debate in Parliament yesterday.
He said that the 20 A is only an amendment and not a new Constitution, and that it is only brought to do away with the 19th Amendment, which has been damaging to the country.
He said that when the 1978 Constitution was introduced, Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader Amirthalingham hailed it as the best thing to happen in 22 years, and many other political leaders, too, endorsed it.
Devananda assured that the 20th Amendment will not be disadvantageous to the minorities at any cost and that it would only be beneficial to the country.
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If 20A passed, foreigners would become MPs here – MP Bandara
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, flaunting the US flag in Parliament yesterday, said that if the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is passed, it will not be too long before even foreign nationals become Members of Parliament. He said that the sole purpose of bringing about the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is to enable persons holding US-Lankan dual citizenship to become Members of Parliament.
He was participating in the second reading stage debate. The MP said that there would be a day soon the American citizens coming here as MPs. “The 20th Amendment will pave the way for them,” he said.
Reading the oath that should be taken by a foreigner when becoming a US citizen, Bandara said that as per that oath, those taking it should give his or her first priority to American interests. “Where are those who wallow in patriotism today? They made use of patriotism to win elections, but they pass laws against the country’s national interests. Soon the day would dawn where Americans become MPs,” the MP said.
“The danger is that this Bill would not only allow Americans but also Chinese. Chinese too can become MPs here,” he said showing the US flag. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Weerakumara Dissanayake responding to MP Jayamaha said he had brought the loin cloth of his former leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. That should be removed from the House.
MP Jayamaha, wearing a mask showing the face of a black American, said that the House comprises Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim MPs. “When we stand together, it is difficult to identify who is Tamil, who is Sinhala, who is Muslim. But this Bill would help those with different racial features and colours to come here,” he said.
SLPP MP A.D. Jagath Kumara said that the opposition MP read out an oath before the US flag. “That oath should be given before the US flag. He did the same inside this House. The House should not permit anyone to take an oath of allegiance to the US,” he said.
Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena requested the Chair not to let the opposition MP act against the dignity and decorum of the House.
“The opposition MP has smuggled in items not permitted in this House. An investigation must be held how he brought them in here. He must be stopped from making use of this august assembly to display his undignified actions and make a mockery of the House,” MP Abeygunawardena said.
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CC will be replaced with Parliamentary Committee under 20A – MP Hakeem
It has been proposed to establish a parliamentary committee to replace the Constitutional Council under the 20th Amendment. The Council will include a representative of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. However, under the 20th Amendment, the powers have been given to the President and he has the power to remove either of these representatives or both, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Rauff Hakeem said.
He was speaking in the debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament yesterday.
“This is crazy. With such arbitrary powers vested with the President, we need to consider the impact this would have on the judiciary from the lowest courts to the highest,” he said.
“What we witnessed today is a slow, solemn sleepwalk of a whole nation in acquiescing precision carrying the spiritless body of a defunct democracy to an early grave pre-purchased by 6.9 million of our people,” Hakeem said
He said that it is true that Parliament has become virtually servile, but after the 20th Amendment, our servility is there for everyone to see. The simple truth is that tyranny crawls in quietly, continuously, unremittingly when the population of all shades of opinion and all types of beliefs of what is good, bad and ugly gives in to the most primal of human emotions, fear. “Who benefits from fear? It is the poor, the marginalised and the minorities who are the first casualties of fear,” MP Hakeem said.
He admitted that the 19th Amendment has many flaws. They should be addressed but it also contained a commendable aspect. “The 19th Amendment removed the notion of an infallible Presidency. That is the only redeeming feature of the 19th Amendment. It should have paved the way for a new Constitution. But that did not happen, because we failed to the essential nature or vitals of other presidential aspirants who had vested interest in retaining the system. Since the introduction of the 1978 Constitution, we have seen the emergence of a sizable constituency that prefers presidentialism, to a parliamentary system,” he said.
He said that the 1978 Constitution is a Faustian compact that is what happened to the daughter of two great leaders of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunge. Mahinda Rajapaksa during his tenure could have changed the Constitution, but he did not. Why? Quoting Oscar Wilde he said, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Resist it and your soul grows sick longing for the things it has forbidden to itself.”
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Our responsibility is to give due political power to President – Minister Ranatunga
“Our responsibility is to give the due political power to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to fulfill his promises to the people, Gampaha District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said yesterday. He was speaking in the debate on the draft bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament.
Minister Ranatunga said that the President now has appointed a committee to look into drafting of a new Constitution. “The President wants to present a new Constitution during his rule. This Constitution will secure the future of our younger generation,” the Minister said. Minister Ranatunga said that the Yahapalana government brought in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to fulfill the needs of political leaders who were in alliances with it. “People understood this well. That is why they voted for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and gave a two third majority in Parliament,” he said.
He said that the Yahapalana government targeted to remove Rajapaksa family from Sri Lankan politics as the latter stood a threat to the former. “So, the Yahapalana government attempted to use the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to keep Rajapaksas at bay. They took the power of the Executive Presidency and centered it on Ranil Wickremesinghe, who could never have won a presidential election. We see how tragic the repercussions were.”
