JVP awaits UNP’s final stance on 20A

• The JVP had said that it would prepare for the presidential poll if there was no consensus on the 20A soon

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana 

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to inform them of the United National Party (UNP)’s final stance on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which provides for the abolition of the executive presidency.   

JVP MP Vijitha Hearth told the media that his party had conveyed this to the Premier when he met the JVP delegation led by party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the parliamentary complex yesterday.   

The Premier is reported to have told the JVP delegation that the UNP had already passed a resolution at its annual convention calling for the abolition of the executive presidency and that stance had not changed.  

He had said he would like to have a dialogue with all constituent parties of the UNF so that agreement could be reached as an alliance. 

The JVP delegation had told the premier that it would prepare for the presidential poll if there was no consensus on the 20A soon.   

It had also informed the Prime Minister that the JVP had no intention of meeting President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss the 20A on the basis that he had been given a mandate to abolish the executive presidency.   

The JVP delegation comprised Mr Dissanayake, Mr Hearth and MP Nalinda Jayatissa while the Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister Malik Samarawickrama. 

• The Premier is reported to have told the JVP delegation that the UNP had already passed a resolution at its annual convention calling for the abolition of the executive presidency and that stance had not changed