|
Constitutional reforms:
Three UNP MPs support Govt
* Reforms people-friendly, development oriented
* Many wrong turns in recent UNP history
Rasika SOMARATHNA
Senior UNP MPs Earl Gunasekera and Lakshman Seneviratne yesterday
said that they were in support of the envisaged proposals to amend the
existing constitution as they were beneficial to the country and its
people.
The duo during a media briefing at Earl Gunasekera MP’s house said
that they had come before the press to inform their stance to the public
on the matter after controversy erupted at a recent UNP Working
Committee meeting after both suggested that the UNP should vote for the
amendments.
They said that they would have a constant dialogue with other UNP MPs
on the matter until September 8 and would try to persuade the party to
vote in favour as the amendments were people – centric and
pro-development oriented.
When questioned whether they would join the Government the duo did
not give a definite answer but said that a final decision would be
arrived at after September 8.
Earl Gunasekera MP said that he, Lakshman Seneviratne MP and former
MP Vajira Abeywardena had suggested to the party at the recent working
committee that the UNP should support the amendments. Later UNP
spokesman Gayantha Karunatilake MP said that the party would oppose the
move.
He said that the proposed changes to the 17th Amendment was a
progressive move as they were intended at removing certain obstacles
which are in the way of accelerated development.
The MPs pointed out that when the UNP was in power the then
Government had faced many snags in running the state administration due
to powers vested with the CC.
As an example he pointed at the UNP’s inability to re-enlist 19
policemen who were interdicted by the previous regime for giving
evidence in the Batalanda incident.
While launching a scathing attack on the UNP leadership Gunasekera
charged that the UNP had taken many wrong turns in the course of its
recent history.
As examples he pointed out the UNP’s opposition to abolish the
Executive Presidency when former President Chandrika Kumaratunge sought
their support during her tenure. He noted that the UNP’s inability to
side with the Government during the humanitarian operation too was a
grave mistake which cannot be rectified.
He said that the UNP could benefit by the 18th Amendment as according
to political science the tendency was for the decline in popularity of
the ruling party over a period of time. He added that the UNP had
nothing to worry over the matter as the ultimate decision in this regard
invested with the public.
He noted that the UNP should not resort to say No for the sake of
opposing but should take decisions with the greater good of the country
in mind.
He added that the party should not follow the JVP. Lakshman
Seneviratne said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had no moral right
to object to the proposed amendments as he had no proper stance in the
matter and added that his contradictory method in this regard was
embedded in the history for everybody to see. |
