Archives

A further round of discussions took place yesterday morning (21st) at the Opposition Leader's Office in the Parliamentary Complex to consider a few amendments to the draft 17th amendment to the Constitution scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on September 24th.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Whip V. J. M. Lokubandara, MPs Karu Jayasuriya, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Thilak Marapana, Rohitha Bogollagama, TULF MP Ananda Sangari, All Ceylon Tamil Congress MP Vinayagamoorthy, JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa and MP Nandana Gunatileke participated.

A plausible consensus was reached among the parties on the Constitution of the proposed Constitutional Council.

It was agreed that the Council should consist of five dignitaries nominated by the Speaker, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, and consensus of both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader was reached that a retired Judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal be nominated by the President, and a retired Judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal be nominated by the Opposition Leader with the consent of all the Opposition parties.

A problem relating to the provision of powers on the Election Commission to issue orders to the non-governmental media during the election period was discussed at length but it came to a halt when the Leader of the Opposition received a telephone call from Waruna Karunatilleke, a Leader of media movement saying that, that problem had already been solved.

The JVP is hoping to come to a final consensus after its talks with the Government next Saturday.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager