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lest trust in the ‘Yahapalana’ Government and they expected that the Government would fulfil their aspirations. However, the Government was unable to do so. We are glad to say that the Rajapaksa’s dictatorial reign came to the end but the Government should now focus their attention on law reforms,” he stated.
Commenting on the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Dissanayake stated that it would be a key step in upholding Sri Lanka’s democracy.
“We could make a new step by passing the 19A in Parliament. Nevertheless that was very difficult to carry out because of conspiratorial work of certain parties. Over the last few years many former Presidents have made promises about abolishing Executive Presidency but that never happened.
“However the Supreme Court has given its last decision about the 19A and the Government should follow their decision to implement the 19A in Sri Lanka; 28 April will be the last opportunity that we get to pass it,” he warned.
Meanwhile, commenting on the role of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in disrupting progress on the 19A, Dissanayake stated: “We are in a doubt about the intentions of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). They disrupted Parliamentary debates on several occasions by arranging protests and petitions. We believe that they will do something more to mess-up the next Parliamentary session too.
“President Maithripala Sirisena is not in the habit of considering about our ideas on this matter but only pays attention to conspirators’ opinions; those who were opposing President Sirisena during the last presidential election,” Dissanayake alleged.
Commenting on recent developments with the Bribery Commission and investigations being carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Dissanayake reiterated that both institutions had a responsibility to conduct investigations into those who were engaged in frauds and other crimes under the previous Government.
Dissanayake further alleged that it was the very parties who were prime suspects in ongoing investigations by the Bribery Commission and the CID who were currently attempting to remove the Bribery Commissioner in order to further their own interests and impede justice.
He went on to specifically name former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and his wife, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa’s children, Namal, Yoshitha and Rohitha, along with Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother-in-law Nishantha Wickramasinghe as being responsible for such behaviour.
