JVP says President will be defeated if he contests again for presidency

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said the new Constitution should abolish the executive presidency and if President Maithripala Sirisena contests the next presidential election without abolishing the executive presidency he will definitely be defeated.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath said the JVP would never allow the appointment of an executive prime minister in place of the executive president.

He said the existing Constitution of 1978 was old and society had changed. The need for a new Constitution has surfaced and therefore the party’s stand was to allow this to happen.

MP Herath pointed out that Maithripala Sirisena became President on 8 January 2015 with a promise to abolish the executive presidency and a new Constitution was necessary to abolish the executive presidency.

“It is necessary to have a two-thirds majority in Parliament for a new Constitution and it should be approved at a referendum. The mandate received in 2015 was for a new Constitution. It is the responsibility of the President and the Government to fulfil this election promise,” Herath stressed.

Since the introduction of the executive presidency under the leadership of J.R. Jayewardene in 1978, both the JVP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) vehemently criticised the Constitution. The executive presidency was especially severely criticised by these parties.

Both former SLFP presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power pledging to abolish the executive presidency.

However, the present Constitution of the SLFP states that the executive presidency should not be abolished.

The United National Party (UNP), which constituted the 1978 Constitution, has also made a point of abolishing the executive presidency.

Herath has emphasised that the interim report was not the new draft bill and points out that it contains contradictory views. A Constitution can never be compiled with contradictory views, he said. What is contained in this interim report is a summary of matters that were discussed and a collection of views from the public. This interim report also includes recommendations by parties and parliamentary representatives separately.

“There is no possibility to compile a new Constitution with the post of executive president. President Maithripala Sirisena has promised that there wouldn’t be a presidential election again. Whatever the opinion of the SLFP is, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena has no moral right to contest a presidential election again,” MP Herath said.

He said the President must put his view before the country. “He should fulfil the promise he made to the people at the presidential election. Also, we will vouch that Maithripala Sirisena too would be defeated just like Rajapaksa was defeated if he contests a presidential election again.”

Influential Buddhist monks said the country does not need a new Constitution and they opposed the drafting a new Constitution or the current one being amended. The two chapters of Malwathu and Asgiriya asked the Government to halt the drafting process immediately.