Massive majority want Executive Presidency abolished

Friday, 13 March 2015 01:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The latest nationwide survey by TNS Lanka, for business magazine LMD, reveals that nearly two-thirds of respondents agree that the Executive Presidency – which was a key issue in the run-up to the presidential election – must be abolished, although 21% do not view it as a necessary measure. A further 14% remain ‘unsure’, the magazine reports. And while the Legislature contemplates constitutional reforms to disqualify MPs who cross over, a majority of the people seem to back such efforts, according the poll findings. “Just over a quarter of respondents say MPs should have the freedom to cross over, but 59% disagree on the matter, and they go so far as to state that these crossovers destroy the country,” LMD notes, citing the survey outcome. Meanwhile, a notable 86% of those surveyed say that politicians can be trusted by their leaders, “even if events that transpired over the last six months may have painted a different picture,” the magazine states, adding that “the people seem less confident with regard to the independence of the Judiciary and the Police in Sri Lanka, with 54% and 59% of those polled in the naysayer’s camp, respectively”. The March issue of the pioneering business magazine has been released to supermarkets and bookstores. Its Cover Story features an exclusive account of cyber-wars and related security, in the wake of the Sony Pictures hacking episode.