|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 20 February 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| Liberal Party welcomes permanent reduction of number of Ministries The Liberal Party emphatically welcomes President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's decision to dismiss from executive office all non-Cabinet and Deputy Ministers. Though a few of them are very capable, many were given office, as their budget allocations made clear, simply to spend the nation's money on the maintenance of their offices and all the privileges a Minister enjoys. It would of course have been better, given that they had been appointed on the Prime Minister's recommendation, if he had decided which ones to remove as had earlier been requested by the President, the Liberal Party said in a statement yesterday. However it is understandable that in the present situation it was unfair to insist that he court further unpopularity. It was therefore salutary that the President should have acted swiftly and relieved him of the decision. At the same time the Liberal Party earnestly requests that mechanisms be instituted to ensure that such absurdities are not permitted to recur. The Party was equally critical of the large Cabinet formed by President Kumaratunga a few years back, and therefore welcomed the streamlining of that Cabinet towards the end of 2001, as a result of an earlier agreement with the JVP. "However we pointed out at the time how an opportunity had been missed to entrench the provision by introduction of a constitutional amendment. As a result the Prime Minister was able to create even more Ministries when he took office in 2001," the statement said. The statement: "In his defence it was claimed that he had to do this to ensure continuing support from his parliamentarians. Though we deplore such arguments, and believe that national leaders should not be so pusillanimous, we recognise that pressures are intense when Parliament is fairly evenly balanced. It is for this reason that we reiterate the need to introduce a constitutional amendment to prevent further bloated cabinets. Unfortunately it is unlikely that a Parliament once elected would readily pass such an amendment. There is need therefore of greater authority to ensure this, and such authority can only be provided by the people. In this regard we believe the present would be an ideal time to use the device of a referendum in the national interest. Thus far this measure has been used only for partisan political gain, in 1982, when the term of Parliament was extended for six years and its use as a consultative device has never been attempted. Ordinarily we would not recommend this, given the cost to the country. But since there is now going to be a general election anyway, we request the President to submit to the people the question as to whether they would welcome a constitutional amendment to limit the size of any Cabinet to 20. It is not likely that such a proposal could be opposed by any party that had the national interest at heart and, if it were passed, the President could insist on the Cabinet being limited to 20 and a constitutional amendment to that effect being then carried by Parliament. Such a device would in the long run amply justify the funds now being spent on the election, since the long-term benefits to the country would be incalculable. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
