UNP Proposals On Constitutional Reform
Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne, President’s Counsel
Constitutional changes have once again become a hot topic of discussion. The UPFA Government is attempting to dilute the Thirteenth Amendment. Some UPFA constituents are openly for its total abolition and the general feeling is that they have the support of the UPFA leadership. UPFA leaders appear happy to continue with the JR Jayewardene Constitution which they swore to abolish and under which UPFA constituents and their supporters suffered. Proposals made by the National Movement for Social Justice led by Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero have also generated interest. While making a 10-point programme public, it emphasized that the abolition of the executive presidency and bringing back the Seventeenth Amendment must be considered as immediate tasks.