Mervyn challenges Ranil:

Duty and responsibility of all MPs to support Constitutional reform

It is the duty and responsibility of all Members of Parliament to support the proposed Constitutional reforms, said Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Mervyn Silva in a statement issued yesterday evening. At a time when the President has fulfilled his election pledge of ending the three-decade old war and is engaged in a gigantic development effort it is the duty of the entire nation to support him, the Deputy Minister added.

"Since the Constitution vests sovereignty in the people and since Parliament represents that sovereignty the Government elected by the people has a responsibility to amend the Constitution to suit the future development process of the country."

At a time when the Constitution is to be amended to allow any President elected by the people to function in that capacity for more than two terms, certain NGOs and persons including UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe are engaged in a conspiracy to mislead the people and oppose the proposed amendment, he asserted.It is the same Ranil and his henchmen who sheepishly handed over letters of resignation when his uncle J R was running a dictatorial rule disregarding people's sovereignty, that are now getting ready for street demonstrations, he further said.

"If a President elected by the people cannot hold office for more than two terms Members of Parliament elected by the people also cannot remain in Parliament for more than two terms. Further, Ranil who consequently lost a series of elections could neither to continue to be the Leader of the UNP nor be an MP."

"The latest craze of Ranil and his gang is to create conditions that would undermine the gigantic development effort and the peace drive initiated by the President. They are doing so in order to obtain millions in funds from foreign sources and NGOs funded by the LTTE."

The Deputy Minister in his statement categorically stated that as a minister in the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and as the representative of the historic Buddhist city of Kelaniya he would not allow anyone to sabotage the program of the President. He warned that himself, the people of Kelaniya, the Gampaha district and the entire country would rally round him and defeat such sinister attempts.