UNP pledges support to 19A revision

UNP Senior Vice President Lakshman Kiriella addressing the media conference held at Sirikotha where he said his party would support the present government to rectify shortcomings in the 19th Amendment if there were any. 
Pic by Damith Wickramasinghe 

By Yohan Perera 

UNP Senior Vice President Lakshman Kiriella told a press conference held yesterday that his party would support the government to revise the 19th Amendment to the Constitution if there were shortcomings, but would not support a move to repeal it.   

 “The 19th Amendment was compiled and approved by those in the incumbent government. It was they who brought amendments to it during the debate in 2015. This piece of legislation was introduced to ensure balance of power between the executive and legislature through the creation of the Constitutional Council to set up independent commissions and to make the judiciary independent. The Constitutional Council has the power to reject any appointment made by the President in terms of the 19th Amendment whereas the parliamentary commission which was appointed under the 18th Amendment had no such authority. 

“It was the 19th Amendment that enabled a free and fair presidential election recently. The election monitors from the European Union were also pleased about it. They informed that the situation during the election was somewhat similar to that of Europe,” he said.   

It was the 19th Amendment that enabled a free and fair presidential election recently