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Thursday Nov 21, 2024
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Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar on Tuesday claimed the Government’s latest proposal to set up a National Council is a mere eyewash. Markar said instead an entity with
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| Imthiaz Bakeer Markar |
requite powers must be formed immediately.
He said that the General Secretary of the SJB had presented a constitutional National State Council and that what the Government had presented today was completely different to the one proposed by his party.
“The proposal by the SJB was put forward after heeding the calls of the public for a more inclusive democratic system that allows citizen participation” he noted. Markar said the proposed council was to be an empowered legal entity formed through the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
According to Markar, however, the Government is now not attempting to form a legal entity through a constitutional amendment but is merely attempting to trick the people by setting up the council to merely put together a report and table it in Parliament. “This was not the request of the society or the people. This is an extension of the previous form of governance, a mere eyewash and trickery of the people,” he said. Markar went on to say this is an attempt by the Government to trick the world, the country and even the Parliament.
“It says the National Council can call before it several committees such as the Committee on Finances. It says it can call it, make enquiries and come to an agreement to ensure economic stability. This is a fallacy. The Government has already come to an agreement with the IMF to ensure economic stability but they have not even presented it in Parliament,” he pointed out.
He said the SJB does not oppose the proposal from a policy standpoint but any authority formed must have the requisite legal powers allowing it to take action.
