28 May 2022 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Ajith Siriwardana
While making several proposals to be included in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday they would support a Constitutional Amendment which would strengthen democratic values.
JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference that they would advocate for a new constitution instead of Amendments and said however, they would support an Amendment which would strengthen democratic values as these rulers would never bring in a
new Constitution.
He said their lawyers were drafting certain provisions to be included in the 21A and added that those Amendments would be submitted to the Justice Ministry and he would submit them in Parliament during the committee stage.
He said they would propose that the 21A should include provisions to scrap powers of the President to hold and take over ministry portfolios and his powers to grant
presidential pardon.
“The clause with regard to dual citizenship should include provisions to prevent dual citizens from holding top positions in state institutions. It should also include provisions to ban MPs from crossing over. The Auditor General’s Department should be empowered to audit and investigate the assets and liabilities of parliamentarians,” he said.
Mr. Dissanayake also said that an interim clause should be included in the new Amendment to restrict the duration of the current Parliament as the incumbent Prime Minister or the Parliament had no mandate or moral right to exercise powers which would vest in them, through the new Amendment.
“The incumbent Prime Minister who has no mandate to function as the Prime Minister has no moral right to exercise special powers passed down to him through the 21A. Therefore, an interim clause should be included in the new Amendment to limit its duration to at least two and half years or three years. Then, a new government should be elected,” he said.
19 Mar 2024 22 minute ago
19 Mar 2024 2 hours ago
19 Mar 2024 3 hours ago
19 Mar 2024 4 hours ago
19 Mar 2024 4 hours ago