Swift Cabinet appointment needed: Eran

• Says Executive needs to cooperate with legislature
• Insists Cabinet needs to be sworn in to end political instability
• Slams “jumbo Cabinets” under previous Govt. as financially unsound    

 By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

United National Party (UNP) MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday called on President Maithripala Sirisena to cooperate with the Legislature by allowing a Cabinet to be 

sworn in as soon as possible, to end the political turmoil that gripped the country in the last few weeks.

Criticising the Rajapaksa regime for maintaining large Cabinets not affordable for Sri Lanka, MP Wickramaratne said: “There were jumbo-Cabinets in Sri Lanka, and a small country like ours does not need such large Cabinets. We are dedicated to work without destroying the hopes of innocent people who flocked to Galle Face Green recently, celebrating the establishment of democracy in the country. Without a proper foundation, we cannot erect a strong building. From 1978, we have been amending the Constitution, but anymore Amendments will not do. We need to put a strong foundation for the betterment of our future generation.” 

MP Wickramaratne also held that some previous Presidents who promised to abolish the Executive Presidency attempted to stay in that position for a lifetime. Quoting from “Mahinda-Chinthana 2005 and 2010”, Wickramaratne pointed out that the Executive Presidency has been used to postpone elections, ban political parties, topple legal Governments, pardon murderers and promote an assassination culture.

“Mahinda Rajapaksa in his election manifestos has promised to make the Executive Presidency answerable to Parliament, and would participate in Parliament sessions once a month,” he said.

MP Wickramaratne also rejected having a hidden draft of a Constitution, and criticised the spread of misinformation for the sake of political agendas.