Govt. to allow SLFP amendments to resolution on constitution-making

• SLFP ministers insist new constitution will not provide for greater devolution to the provinces
• SLFP amendments to be tabled in Parliament today for debate
• President’s party opposes preamble of proposed constitutional draft

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The United National Party (UNP), the leading constituent in the National Government has accepted nine amendments drafted by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to the motion presented to Parliament on Saturday, seeking to transform the legislature into a constituent assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution.

 SLFP National Organiser and Minister Susil Premajayanta, speaking at the SLFP weekly press briefing for the first time since the Parliamentary election in August last year, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had accepted their amendments at the all party meeting held on Saturday morning.

“President Maithripala Sirisena asked the SLFP to present its stance regarding the new Constitution and appointed a special committee chaired by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to work on that. The committee conducted several discussions with major political parties including the UNP, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). Finally we drafted nine amendments to the new Constitution,” Premajayantha noted.

 “The TNA accepted our proposals, but MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena presented separate amendments which are similar to ours at the all party meeting.  We expect he will agree with us soon.” he presumed.

 According to Premajayantha, the amendments include removing the term “new Constitution” from the entire draft and using the term “a Constitution”, removing the second and third paragraphs of the Constitution which stands as the preamble, that Parliament will sit as a Constitutional Council not a Constitutional Assembly as stipulated by Standing Orders, removing the article 20 to 24 of the Constitution and passing the Constitution by two-third majority.

 The SLFP expects to present those amendments to the House today, when they will be taken up for debate.

 “We will remain in the same stance of reducing the executive powers of the presidency. If the new Constitution considers completely abolishing executive presidency, the new electoral reforms should present parallel to that,” Premajayantha asserted.  

 Meanwhile, SLFP Spokesman and Minister Dilan Perera added that the new Constitution will not exceed the limitations of devolved powers provided by the 13th Amendment.

 “We believe it is not necessary to go beyond the current power devolving boundaries and the SLFP will never change its stance on devolution,” he insisted.

 However, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe noted while presenting the resolution for the appointment of a Constitutional Assembly on Saturday that the Government will focus on power devolution, abolishing the executive presidency, introducing a fair electoral system, strengthening democratic rights of the people and providing constitutional answers for national issues via the new Constitution.