Reforms empower people, Parliament

*Seventeenth Amendment was unworkable

*Reforms were outlined in Mahinda Chintana Idiri Dekma

The proposed Constitutional reforms empower the people and the Parliament, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the Heads of Media Institutions and Editors at Temple Trees yesterday. The present amendment removes the term limits for a President but gives the power to the people to vote him or reject him at the elections, he said.

He was of the opinion that a president would be more careful and responsible and would act in a more people-friendly manner if he has to go before the people at the end of his second term. Whereas the present Constitution debars an incumbent President contesting for a third term even if the people wish the proposed amendment removes that obstacle to people’s sovereignty, he said.

Observing that the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was unworkable, a fact admitted by the Opposition and a majority of the Parliamentarians, President Rajapaksa said the proposed Parliamentary Council empowers the Parliament in which the sovereignty of the people has been vested.

Under the proposed reform more powers have been given to the Parliament and all its members who are answerable to the people.

In a way this is devolution of the President’s powers to the Parliament, he added.

Informed of attempts by the Opposition to withhold nominating members to the Parliament Council, the President observed that it was nothing new and the Opposition had been doing the same with the Constitutional Council for years creating a deadlock.

The proposed reforms have removed the obstacles that could be placed by such actions of the Opposition and it empowers the President to act in order to activate the Council with no delay.

President Rajapaksa also said that by making it mandatory for the President to attend Parliament at least once in three months the relations between the Executive and the Legislature have been made smoother.