SJB ready to support positive changes to 19A: Mayantha

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is ready to support fruitful changes to the 19th Amendment with all political parties instead of the proposed 20th Amendment, SJB MP Mayantha Dissanayake said yesterday.

Mr. Dissanayake who was responding to a question raised by journalists at a press conference yesterday, said his party was ready to support and discuss fruitful changes to the 19th Amendment instead of the 20th Amendment.

“ We would support fruitful changes to the 19th Amendment and are ready to discuss such changes with all political parties represented in Parliament but we will not support the proposed 20th Amendment. The proposed 20th Amendment is aimed at vesting powers under one group or a family,” Mr. Dissanayake explained.

He said SJB was ready for a dialogue with the parties representing the opposition to take a common stand against the 20th Amendment.

Asked about the remark made by ACMC Leader and Member of Parliament Rishad Bathiudeen that he is considering voting for the 20th Amendment, Mr. Dissanayake said that all SJB members of Parliament had agreed to defeat the 20th Amendment. “The SJB Parliamentary group had agreed in principle to defeat the 20th Amendment,” he revealed.

“ It looks like that a wife of a VIP politician is behind the 20th Amendment, especially when one considers the recent remark made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that it is the wives of politicians who destroy them" he quipped.  (Yohan Perera)