UNP says postponing elections unfair

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella (left) and UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim at yesterday's press conference - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Jayashika Padmasiri

The United National Party (UNP) yesterday said that there was no consensus over the 20th Amendment amongst political parties and therefore it was unfair to postpone the general election or bring forward no-confidence motions against the Government by hiding behind the amendment. 

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella, speaking at a news conference, pointed out that if anybody was trying to bring forward a no-confidence motion against the Government by talking about the 20th Amendment then it was a conspiracy. 

“What is happening right now is a counterrevolution of the outcome of 8 January. The present Parliament is Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Parliament and does not demonstrate the present mandate of the country. That is why a general election should be held right away. However, they are saying that what MP Dinesh Gunawardena  failed to do for 13 years can be done right away and the electoral system will be changed. However, as a member of the Cabinet I am saying that it is not possible as there is no agreement about the 20th Amendment with political parties,” Kiriella said. 

UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said that it was unacceptable and unfair to postpone the general election by connecting it with the 20th Amendment. 

“We challenge them to contest an election. Why are they so scared to have an election? We will show them who will become the Prime Minister if there is an election. The people have a right to decide whether they want to keep us as the Government or not, now that 100 days are over. The current mandate in Parliament is a distorted mandate as it does not indicate the country’s present situation,” Hashim added. 

Commenting on the 20th Amendment, he said that if a consensus was reached over the 20th Amendment the conditions of the political parties which worked towards bringing President Sirisena into power should be certainly included in that agreement. 

Expressing his views about the election, Hashim said that it was the same people who worked against bringing President Sirisena to power who were opposing the election today. He also pointed out that even if the 20th Amendment was passed in Parliament it would still be very difficult to hold the forthcoming election under a new electoral system. 

However, answering a question raised by the media about the UPFA’s claim that they could pass the 20th Amendment in Parliament without the support of the UNP, Hashim said that if they believed so then they should proceed with such action.