Constitutional reforms in crisis
SLFP wants Electoral Reforms also included
Ceylon Today, 2015-02-22 02:05:00
By Niranjala Ariyawansha
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is in two minds regarding the proposals in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said they were wondering whether to support the proposals or not, since the relevant clauses, amend the electoral system, have not been included.
Under these circumstances, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party says that, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution cannot be passed in parliament without the support of the members of their party.
Meanwhile, Yapa further said a serious task such as an amendment to the Constitution cannot be decided upon by parliamentary representatives only. The draft amendments to the Constitution should be compulsorily made available to the public so that they can provide their opinions on it.
However, Presidential Advisor and member of the Committee on the Draft Amendment to the Constitution Dr. Jayampathi Wickremaratne told Ceylon Today that this Draft will be made available to the public so that they can express their views about it.
Yapa, who expressed his views to Ceylon Today, further said that although steps had been taken to amend certain clauses, regarding the executive presidency, through this amendment, the election procedure too should be revised simultaneously. Explaining in detail Yapa said, “Although the government promised to amend the Constitution within 100-days, what is important is not the time but the task we are engaged in. This should be carried-out formally. Powers of the executive presidency should be pruned in a way that does not destabilize the country. That is why we say that the amendment to the election procedure should be included in conjunction with the current amendment.”
At the same time, he stated that it is the opinion of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, that the number of Cabinet Ministerial posts should be limited to thirty. Anyhow, he said that the special committee appointed by the party is in the process of studying in depth the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which has been made available to them by the government. In the meantime, a number of political parties, which represent the Constitutional Committee which met on Friday at the Parliament, have stated that the Executive Presidency and the immunity that goes with it should be removed completely, according to internal sources of the government. Meanwhile Convenor of the Movement for a Just Society, Venerable Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, who was in the forefront in bringing the new government to power, addressing the media on Thursday said that, the executive presidency should be abolished and in conjunction with that amendment the election system too should be amended. The Thera informed the government that they should obtain the time period required for this purpose
http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-85445-news-detail-constitutional-reforms-in-crisis.html
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