Maithri wants SLFP to get more involved in constitutional reforms process

Monday, 23 February 2015 00:11 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Jayashika Padmasiri President and Sri Lanka Freedom Party Leader Maithripala Sirisena has urged party members to get proactively involved in the planned constitutional reforms process as well as make the 100-day program a greater success. The call to SLPFers came over the weekend when Sirisena addressed a two-day workshop for Parliamentarians from the party at Onreech Hotel in Katunayake.

MP and former Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told the Daily FT yesterday that President Sirisena requested them to think in a manner which would establish a stable Government in the country. “During this discussion the President basically focused on making the 100-day program a success while saying that the SLFP should be more involved concerning constitutional reforms to reduce the powers of the executive presidency and concerning the electoral reforms relating to parliamentary selection,” Abeywardena added. MP Dinesh Gunawardena’s recommendations concerning constitutional reforms were taken into discussion on Saturday and Sunday. However, some members opposed these recommendations and the President suggested for the party to come up with more democratic and improved recommendations to build a stable Government. Abeywardena said that at this workshop the president also spoke on the concept of a national Government and the creation of a new political culture in the country.

“During this workshop some MPs were of the opinion that they could not work with the United National Party (UNP). So there are such opinions as well within our party. However, regardless of the different viewpoints, as a political party all of us will stand together united,” Abeywardena added. The workshop was held amidst reports that the SLFP was against the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as a result of members not arriving at a common decision over whether to give all powers to the Prime Minister while reducing the powers of the Executive Presidency and appointing a ceremonial President. The stand of SLFP members on electoral reforms was mixed as well. Reports said the SLFP Committee to examine constitutional reforms, headed by Nimal Siripala de Silva, had met last Tuesday at the SLFP head office and spoken about the 19th Amendment to the Constitution for more than three hours.