Video: Dissolution after 20A is passed: UNP

17 June 2015 09:51 am

The United National Party (UNP) today stressed the need to enact the 20th Amendment as soon as possible to pave the way for the dissolution of Parliament at the earliest.

UNP MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, who made a brief description on the situation with regard to 20th Amendment, said it would take at least one and half months to get the legislation passed in Parliament.

He therefore said the House should be dissolved in one and a half month’s time at least.

“We want to make sure that Parliament is dissolved in one and a half month’s time at least as it seems that things are uncertain on the dissolution as a whole,” he said

Mr. Bandara said it would be a difficult task to get the 20th Amendment passed in this Parliament as the government was a minority.

“The notion that it would not be possible to get the 20th Amendment passed in a new Parliament because no one would get a two-thirds majority is not valid as it is difficult to obtain such a majority in the present Parliament as well,” he said.

Elaborating on some key issues with regard to electoral reforms he said the present Parliament chambers could accommodate only around ten more MPs.

He said this issue should be taken into consideration, when deciding on the increase in the number of MPs

Mannar District Parliamentarian Hunais Farook said getting any Bill passed in the present Parliament had become a waste of time and funds as more time was spent on condolence votes.

He said Rs. 600,000 was spent for electricity in Parliament for a day, when sessions were on, and this amount was wasted, when the House could pass useful Bills. (Yohan Perera and Chaturanga Pradeep)