Time to begin work on 20A: JHU

29 April 2015 04:19 pm

Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka said today the JHU’s mission to get the 19th Amendment approved in parliament was achieved and it would soon start the next mission to introduce the electoral reforms by way of the 20th Amendment.

He told a news conference that despite many allegations levelled against the JHU it did not give up its unwavering commitment resulted in the 19A being approved with the support of all parties in parliament.

“When I spoke on the 19A, everybody pointed fingers at me. Some said I was trying to be President. All we wanted to do the best for the country,” the minister said.

He said the time had come to implement the 19th Amendment which was passed by a two-thirds majority.

“We tried to do this with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. We submitted our proposals to amend the Constitution. But, he rejected our proposals and called for snap elections. That was why we quit the the then Government,” the minister said.

The JHU thanked President Maithripala Sirisena whom they said was the only president who kept his promise to remove the arbitrary powers vested in the executive presidency though many former presidents mentioned it in their election manifestoes but were not strong enough to fulfil their promises.

JHU National Organiser Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said the country was on a better footing and requested all the political parties to join together with the President to support him.

He said the arguments for and against the amendment in Parliament must stop now and the parliamentarians must pay attention to other burning problems in the country. (Piyumi Fonseka)