JVP jigsaw to President, PM

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayake receiving the 20th Amendment from JVP Leader and Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday

• Insists both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe must publicly reveal their stance on the abolition of the Executive Presidency
• Hands over 20th Amendment to Speaker and Parliament SG
• JVP looks for speedy passage or further dialogue if all are sincere 
• Says proposed 20th Amendment as there was very little opportunity for a  new Constitution

By Skandha Gunasekara

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, presented by the JVP, will be sent by Parliament to the Attorney General and the Prime Minister. 

Chief Opposition Whip and leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake handed over the 20 Amendment to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayake at the Parliament complex yesterday.

The 20th Amendment seeks to completely abolish the Executive Presidency. 

Addressing the media soon after meeting with the Speaker, MP Dissanayake said that now both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe must publicly reveal their stance on the abolition of the Executive Presidency. 

The JVP leader went on to say that if the Government had genuine need in fulfilling its election promise of doing away with the Executive Presidency, it can ensure the Amendment is passed by Parliament as fast as possible. 

“It can be delayed if the Government has no intereste. We are ready for a broad discussion with all political parties and are prepared to accommodate amendments as necessary. We are open to constructive criticism,” he said.

MP Dissanayake said that the JVP decided to bring in the 20th amendment as they had realised that there was very little opportunity for the establishment of a new Constitution. 

“Since the new Constitution is a distant reality, our effort is to push for more democratic reforms. The Executive Presidency has created many unwanted problems over the country’s history. Excessive Presidential powers have eroded all democratic institutions. Parliament is a mere rubber stamp and the Cabinet of Ministers has been reduced to puppets under the Executive Presidency. Even the Judiciary could be influenced. Since the day the Executive Presidency came into being, there has been a strong voice against it. All successive Presidents who came to power after 1994 pledged to abolish it in their election manifestoes. This was one of the main election slogans of the Common Candidate Sirisena. This Government cannot get away from this undertaking. We challenge the two leaders at the top to announce in public their positions on the abolition of the Executive Presidency” he said.

After receiving the Attorney General’s approval, the 20th Amendment bill has to be gazetted before being presented to Parliament for debate.