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| Friday, 14 May 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| Government has right to amend constitution: Vasudeva by Asela Kuruluwansa The Government has a right to amend the present Constitution since it has received a two third mandate. When one analyses the results of the recent general election democratically according to the first past the post system, said Democratic Left Front Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara. Speaking at a seminar cum dialogue at the D. S. Senanayake Public Library auditorium on 'Constitutional Amendments and Challenges Faced to Democracy' on Wednesday, Nanayakkara said. Late President J. R. Jayewardene framed the present Constitution after obtaining a two third majority at an election held under the first past the post system. Demanding a bigger strength than that to amend the present Constitution was therefore unacceptable because no party can obtain a two third majority under the present electoral system. Therefore the progress and evolution of the Constitution should not be obstructed due to this impediment, he said. Nanayakkara said the proportional representation system had completely severed the link between the MP and the voter. Under this system, an MP cannot even act according to his conscience and oppose a wrong decision taken by his party. Even a person put forward according to the whims and fancies of the party strongman can become an MP without a peoples mandate. This deprives MPs the opportunity of bringing peoples problems to the Government's attention, Nanayakkara said. Nanayakkara said the present Constitution should be smashed up after incorporating its salient features in a newly framed Constitution which protects democracy. |
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