UNP favours abolishing Executive Presidency - PM
The JVP MPs met Prime Minister and UNP Leader Wickremesinghe at the Parliamentary complex to discuss on the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution (20A) which seeks to abolish the Executive Presidency.
The JVP group comprised its Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and MPs Vijitha Herath and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Minister Malik Samarawickrama attended with the Prime Minister. MP Vijitha Herath told journalists that the PM said that the UNP at its last party convention agreed in principle to abolish the Executive Presidency. “On our side, we requested UNP’s support to get the 20A passed with a two thirds majority.
“He agreed to discuss on this amendment with other party leaders of the UNF and inform us of the outcome,” MP Herath said.
The JVP also met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and TNA Leader R. Sampanthan over the 20A.
Herath said the party will meet SLFP and SLMC representatives in the near future. “A final decision on the 20A Bill will be made within three weeks.
We take all our efforts in that regard. If it is to see the light of the day, it must be taken up before the next Presidential Elections to be held towards the end of this year,” Herath said.
The 20th Amendment was presented to Parliament by JVP MP Vijitha Herath on September 5, 2018.
The Bill has also made provisions to prevent MP crossovers against the collective decision of the party. The Supreme Court (SC) ruled in October last year that 30 Articles out of the 38 Articles in the 20A need to be passed with a two thirds majority in Parliament and approved by the people at a referendum.
