Govt only rectifying deficiencies of 19A

• No independent commissions were established under 19A

By Yohan Perera  

The government is only trying to rectify shortcomings of the 19th Amendment according to the mandate it has received, Minister of Highways and Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando said over the weekend.   

Minister Fernando who was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony at Meeoya Temple in Galgamuwa said, the objective of the 20th Amendment is not to bring in former Minister Basil Rajapaksa to Parliament but to rectify the shortcomings of the 19th Amendment.   

“People believe that shortcomings of 19th Amendment should be rectified. This is the mandate we received at the last elections” the Minister said.   “There were no independent commissions established under the 19th Amendment to the constitution though former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed they established such commissions. Dilrukshi Dias was appointed to the Bribery Commission and she revealed how she had to work at that time. Former IGP also revealed how he was influenced. The independent police commission did nothing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019. An IGP cannot be removed under the 19th Amendment” the Minister said.