Keheliya faults Opposition for delay in political reforms

Friday, 21 November 2014 01:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government has accused Opposition parties of derailing reforms in the country, including the possible abolition of the presidency, by failing to sit in the Parliamentary Select Committee tasked with studying Constitutional changes. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who addressed the Cabinet press briefing yesterday, said Opposition parties had stood in the way of the Government implementing pledges contained in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ and ‘Mahinda Chinthana – Idiri Dakma’ about reforming the presidency. The Minister acknowledged that both President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election manifestos in 2005 and 2010 contained references to reforming the presidency. He insisted the Opposition had stood in the way of pushing those reforms forward. “There is no point in shouting in street corners about abolishing the presidency. The Opposition must try to effect these changes in the place they can be made – and that is Parliament,” Rambukwella said. The Minister said the Government was looking for ‘inclusive participation’ from all parties in Parliament to decide on Constitutional changes. “The Opposition is boycotting this committee, but they are shouting for changes on the roadside,” he added. Grilled by journalists on why the Government did not seek inclusive participation during the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake by a PSC of only Government members, Rambukwella responded that “that was a different case”. “Constitutional changes are far more serious matters,” he charged. “It requires the inputs of all parties,” the Minister added. Asked what the Government’s present views on abolishing the presidency were, Rambukwella responded: “We are going to declare elections. That is the present view.” (DB)

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