Strengthening PC system - Committee to submit proposals

There being no consensus among the main political parties on abolishing the executive presidency and on electoral reforms, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a high-level committee on Thursday to recommend how the provincial council system could be strengthened through constitutional measures, a TNA MP said yesterday.

He said the President met representatives of political parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with regard to constitutional reforms.

TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, who attended the meeting, told Daily Mirror that the committee comprised Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, UPFA MP Dilan Perera and himself.

“The committee is to submit proposals to strengthen the PC system. We will meet next week,” he said and added that UPFA and theUNP, as the two main parties, had differences of opinion on the abolition of executive presidency and on electoral reforms.

The MP said the President called for this meeting after TNA leader R. Sampanthan met him last week.

The UPFA was represented by MPs Dilan Perera, Faizer Mustapha, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Sarath Amunugama. The UNP by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers Lakshman Kiriella, Mano Ganesan, Rishad Bathiudeen, Rauff Hakeem and Palani Digambaram.

Mr. Sumanthiran said power devolution was his party's primary objective while the abolition of the executive presidency and electoral reforms were secondary.

“The war was not on account of these two matters. There does not seem to be much divergence on devolution,” he said and added that the TNA urged the President to proceed with the aspects where there was consensus. (Kelum Bandara)