JVP decision over NEC hinges on Govt. promises

Friday, 3 April 2015 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday said that their decision whether to remain in the National Executive Committee (NEC) depended on whether the Government succeeded in getting the 19th Amendment passed in Parliament and fulfilled its other promises. JVP Leader Anura K

umara Dissanayaka made this announcement yesterday at a media conference after stating that the current President and Prime Minister should work towards getting the 19th Amendment implemented. He also said that the JVP would come up with a few amendments for the 19th Amendment in Parliament. “Current President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have agreed to give their fullest support to pass the 19th Amendment in Parliament. Now the ball is in their court and we believe that they will pass the ball correctly. At the NEC meeting they both promised that they would bring the 19th Amendment to Parliament on 10 April. However, depending on if the Government continues to keep their promises, we will make a decision on whether or not to remain in the NEC,” he said. Speaking about the next Prime Minister, Dissanayaka said: “If the present PM remains in that position for a long time, then he will be misusing a mandate that he has not won. That is why we are saying that the current premiership is temporarily. There is also speculation in society that executive powers will be removed from the President and given to the Premier, which is not true as these executive powers will be divided. Some powers will be given to independent commissions, Parliament and the Cabinet while others will be given to President Sirisena and the Prime Minister,” he said. Dissanayaka said that at the NEC meeting they spoke about getting the Right to Information Act implemented, introducing electoral reforms and taking legal action against those from the previous regime who were corrupt. “At the NES we also spoke about the Avant-Garde incident and made a decision to introduce a National Audit Commission,” he added.