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| Thursday, 22 April 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| GL splitting hairs trying to make Ranil President - D.M. Jayaratne by Anura Maitipe The Constitution introduced by the UNP in 1978 is the main obstacle that prevents the smooth functioning of governance, Minister of Posts, Telecommunication and Central Region Development, D.M Jayaratne, told the Daily News. The country needs a complete overhaul of the present Constitution if it is to introduce changes beneficial to the people such as electoral reforms and the abolition of the Executive Presidency, the Minister said. He said when the PA was in power, Prof. G. L. Peiris strongly advocated the need for electoral reforms and the abolition of the Executive Presidency, but was now humming a different melody. Jayaratne claimed that Peiris was now splitting hairs saying "the Constitution cannot be changed without a two thirds majority." What Prof. Peiris wants is to keep the present constitution intact to elevate Ranil Wickremesinghe to the executive Presidency," the Minister added. The people are fed up with the present Constitution and the majority of voters want to change it. The UNF stands for the requirement for a two thirds majority to change the Constitution ignoring the people's sovereignty, the Minister said. "Whichever Government is in power, we will have to abide by the wish of the people. There is no necessity to hide behind the very Constitution which had created numerous problems in the country,he said. The Minister said the Government was elected by the wish of the majority of the people. "Therefore, the Government and the Opposition should respect the voice of people and not a mere piece of paper. We should not forget the fact that the validity of constitution depends only as long as it serves the interest of the people, " he said. If not, it becomes an outdated piece of legislation, the Minister said. |
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