Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe must solve the economic crisis before bringing in a Constitutional amendment, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said yesterday.
In an interview with The Morning, SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam said such constitutional reforms should not be drafted to target any specific individuals, which prevents them from entering Parliament or becoming President.
He said the SLPP needs to first study and analyze the proposed reforms prior to deciding on its support of the 21st Amendment.
Stating that the SLPP had extended their support to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a new Government to solve the country’s economic crisis, he said the economic crisis still prevails.
“First, solve the economic crisis and create an environment which allows a Parliamentarian to walk freely on the road and have the mental freedom to think. Then, we can discuss a Constitutional amendment,” the SLPP MP added.
When inquired whether the SLPP’s support for the 21st Amendment would depend on the provisions which bar dual citizens from entering the Parliament or holding public office, MP Kariyawasam said that the constitution of a country should not be designed targeting a specific individual.
“No country in the world makes constitutions to stop someone from coming to Parliament or to chase them away, or to prevent someone from becoming President. Constitutions are designed to the needs of the country,” he said.
The 20th Amendment to the Constitution allows dual citizens to enter Parliament and hold public office, which paved the way for the entry of former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa into Parliament in 2021, while the proposed 21st Amendment to the Constitution is expected to repeal this clause.
The 21st Amendment to the Constitution has been drafted by a committee led by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe.
SLPP MP Kariyawasam cast doubts on the origins of the 21st Amendment and whether it serves a foreign power’s agenda.
Stopping short of confirming that the SLPP would vote against the 21st Amendment in Parliament, the MP said, “We are not saying that we will not eventually support the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. We first need a suitable environment where the Amendment can be brought in and discussed to do the correct thing for the country.”.
The draft 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (23) and was sent to all party leaders representing Parliament yesterday (24). (NewsWire)