Jayewardene Jr. steps in to protect ‘grandfather’s Constitution’

Friday, 20 October 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Claims there is no need for constitutional reforms
Says he wants to contest local government elections from Colombo despite being Gampaha SLFP organiser
Says he doesn’t understand the UNP anymore

In a bid to protect his grandfather’s legacy, Pradeep Jayewardene, the grandson of Sri Lanka’s first executive President J.R. Jayewardene, yesterday claimed that there was no need for constitutional reforms, promising to take all efforts to stop attempts to abolish the executive presidency and devolve power.

As a first step, Jayewardene said he has asked to be nominated as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate for Colombo at the upcoming local government elections. Jayawardene, claiming that his grandfather’s efforts to protect the country were misunderstood, said reforms brought forward after the 1978 Constitution were all aimed towards dividing the country and weakening the centre.

“I don’t see the need for a new Constitution, there should not even be such a discussion,” he told reporters at a press conference held at the Colombo Swimming Club.

“The draft constitutions presented by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the current Constitution will result in a weaker centre and more devolution. The new one talks about abolishing the executive presidency. All three will have a negative impact on the country,” he said.

A political appointee to the Sri Lanka Mission in Germany by the Rajapaksa administration, Jayawardene said that he has been invited by the Joint Opposition to contest for a local government seat from their party. He is yet to reply to the invitation, he revealed. Jayawardene also claimed that he applied to contest through the SLFP. He currently holds office as the SLFP organiser of the Gampaha District.

Asked why he was not entering politics through his grandfather’s party, the UNP, Jayawardene claimed that he no longer understood the party, which is trying to abolish the executive presidency which according to him has benefited Sri Lanka.