Maithri wants drug dealers et al ousted from Parliament

By Zacki Jabbar-May 25, 2015, 9:41 pm 

President Maithripala Sirisena says he is committed to eliminating drug dealers and other social undesirables from Parliament and the proposed new electoral system will help achieve that goal.

Informed sources told The Island when some UPFA MPs asked the President during their group meeting held in Colombo last week if the next general election would be held under the current electoral system or the proposed First Past the Post System coupled with Limited PR (FPP&LP) he had replied, "Don’t ask me that question. But, remember, one of the main pledges that I was elected to office on, was to eliminate Kudukarayas (drug dealers) and Rasthiyadukarayas (undesirables) from the legislature. I am also committed to ending the scourge of the Manape (preferential vote) and expect you to back me to the hilt."

Announcing that he would present the 20th Amendment Bill to the Cabinet of Ministers this week, the President had said, "Despite objections by some parties you were able to get the 19th Amendment to the Constitution passed on your own terms. Now, I expect you all to support the 20th Amendment Bill without any conditions."

Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena told ‘The Sunday Island’ recently that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had requested President Srisena to dissolve Parliament by the end of this month and hold the next election in July.

However, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayanth said that they wanted the polls to be held in September under the proposed FPP & LPR System after the electoral boundaries were re-drawn. "It can be done within the next two to three months" he insisted.