Not against devolution of power in new Constitution: SLFP

Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said yesterday the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was not against the devolution of power in the new Constitution.

He told parliament that they had put forward several proposals to the Constitution while they were of the opinion that the unitary state should be in tact in the new Constitution.

"We agreed to form a national government to achieve several objectives including the introduction of new electoral system. We all supported the 19th Amendment. We also came to an agreement to pass the 20th Amendment but we could not do it", he said.

He said the SLFP held the fact that electorate system should be introduced to the parliamentary election just as it was done to the Local Government and Provincial Councils.

He said the SLFP had proposed that the ministries and deputy ministers should be restricted to 30 in the new Constitution.

He said they also proposed that the new Constitution should have provisions so that subject of ministries could not be changed.

He said their proposals also included to repeal the executive powers of the President to some extent while to appoint a President elected by the votes of all the communities to uphold the position of unitary state of the country.

Mr. De Silva said the Prime Minister should be appointed through the Westminster system. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)