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Saturday, 11 April 2015 01:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday said that they respected the Supreme Court’s decision on the 19th Amendment and that when the required changes were made to the Draft Bill they would support it.
SLFP Parliamentarian and Minister of Fisheries Mahinda Amaraweera told the Daily FT that the SLFP had no desire to go beyond the Supreme Court’s decision.
“We respect the Supreme Court decision and will not go beyond it in any way. The President has voluntarily consented to reduce his executive powers. Therefore when the required amendments are made and included in the 19th Amendment Draft Bill, we will support it. We will support and pass everything that we can pass with the two-thirds majority without going for a referendum,” Amaraweera said.
Meanwhile, according to reports the SLFP yesterday also decided to appoint a committee to look into the 19th Amendment and electoral reforms. The decision was taken at the SLFP Parliamentary Group meeting which was held yesterday at the Parliamentary complex in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena. At the meeting a decision was taken to appoint a committee, which included several senior SLFP members, to plan the party’s next course of action.
By Chamodi Gunawardana
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday confirmed that they would vote in favour of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution after the proposed changes required by the Supreme Court had been included in the 19th Amendment Draft Bill.
In addition to this, JHU General Secretary and Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka and JHU Western Provincial Councillor Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe yesterday also stated that the Supreme Court decision regarding the 19th Amendment Draft Bill had taken all of their requests into consideration.
They revealed that they were greatly pleased by the Supreme Court order as it included all the changes that they had expected.
“We filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the 19th Amendment and there were other petitions too filed against the Draft Bill. All together there were 19 petitions against the 19th Amendment. From these petitions, 10 highlighted sentences which could create public criticism and confusion. Now the Supreme Court has determined that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution should be approved by the general public and that the required amendments must be implemented,” Warnasinghe said.
They went on to say that those changes would make this Constitution better and would change the current situation faced by the Government.
“We are glad to say that the Supreme Court has considered all our expectations and it will affect the country’s future in a good way. We are hoping to give our full support and vote in favour of the 19th Amendment after the changes are made to the Draft Bill,” Warnasinghe asserted.
The Government yesterday revealed that they would get the support of all political parties in Parliament to get the 19th Amendment to the Constitution passed after the debate on 20 and 21 April.
Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, addressing a media conference yesterday about the 19th Amendment, said that the Government would take steps to get the Draft Bill passed in Parliament with the consent of all political parties after the debate on the 19th Amendment which is scheduled to take place on 20 and 21 April.
“The 18th Amendment, which was passed by the previous Government with a two-thirds majority, has disfigured and twisted the democracy of this country. Therefore to correct that historical error and to establish democracy in the nation, political parties will support us and vote for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as it is an action for the benefit of the people,” Rajapakshe said.
