JVP Leader says failure of 19A a result of weak leaders

• 19A put to test under two worst leaders in country’s history
• Would have fared better under good leadership 
• Says 19A strengthened democracy despite shortcomings

JVP leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the failure of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was a result of the weakness of the two leaders who held office at the time, and not because the legislation was weak.

“The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was put to the test under two of the weakest political leaders in recorded political history, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena. If the leadership were different and more responsible, the 19th Amendment would have recorded better success,” Dissanayake said, participating in the second reading stage debate on the 20th Amendment on Thursday. While admitting that the 19A had its own shortcomings, Dissanayake said that at its core the intention was to strengthen democratic governance.

“If we are getting rid of the loopholes of the 19th Amendment, we need to orient our attempt towards a more comprehensive democratic framework. For example, Professor G.L. Peiris pointed out that members of the Constitutional Council cannot be removed. So, the optimum amendment should be to increase the number of reasons that allow the removal of such a CC member. That is strengthening. But if you are removing the whole of CC, that is not an act of strengthening democracy.

“Failure of the rulers should not be blamed upon the country’s Constitution. It is politically incorrect. Issues in this country are not a problem of a Constitution but how the rulers have acted over these decades. (Late President) J.R. Jayawardena expelled trade union activists, prohibited political parties, opted for an open economy and a series of such misconducts. So, this socio-economic-political chaos is not created by the Constitution. Chaos is not created by the Constitution. We as a political party believe in partial centralisation of power. However, this centralisation should be done to a structure, an institution, a group – such as the House, the Cabinet – not to an individual.”