19A: Passage in the balance
18 April 2015 04:24 am
The much-awaited passage of the 19th Amendment in Parliament next Tuesday (21) hung in the balance with the opposition expressing fears of new amendments being introduced at the committee stage of the debate and insisting that the 19th Amendment and electoral reforms should be approved simultaneously.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) reiterated its position yesterday that both constitutional and electoral reforms should be enacted together and as such the vote on the 19th Amendment should be put off after its debated on April 21.
SLFP MP G.L. Peiris told Daily Mirror that his party had consistently expressed this stance and reiterated it at the party leaders’ meeting.
He said his party sought the Speaker's intervention to make sure that the government would not try to incorporate the provisions requiring a referendum into the constitutional amendments during the committee stage.
Mr. Peiris said the provisions requiring a referendum would negate the SC ruling if such provisions were introduced during the committee stage.
He said the SLFP would not allow the Constitution to be flouted.
The party leaders’ meeting presided by Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody was attended by the UNP and the opposition parties. It ended without a decision being taken on the matter.
Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Leader Tissa Vitharana told Daily Mirror that all opposition parties except the TNA opposed the passing of the 19th Amendment in its present form at the committee stage and added that if the government was not ready to compromise, the UPFA would not support it.
“The government position was that all changes as determined by the Supreme Court ruling had to be incorporated in the 19th Amendment at the committee stage and passed with a simple majority. But we opposed it and said we want a new draft in line with the Supreme Court determination. We want it gazetted and SC approval obtained if we are to support it,” Prof. Vitharana said.
He stressed the need to come out of this impasse and told Daily Mirror that the UPFA expected to meet President Maithripala Sirisena on the weekend and sort out this matter amicably and pave the way for the debate and approval on April 20 and 21.