UNP accuses MR of giving false interpretation of 19A

Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P. Perera (left) and Minister of Mass Media and Parliamentary Affairs Gayantha Karunathilaka at yesterday’s media conference – Pic by Lasantha Kumara

 

By Waruni Paranagamage
Reacting to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statements concerning the implementation of the 19th Amendment, the United National Party (UNP) yesterday denied that the executive powers of the President had not been abolished by the 19th Amendment and lamented Rajapaksa’s poor knowledge of the Constitution.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P. Perera, speaking at a media conference in Colombo yesterday, explained that some of the statements made by former President Rajapaksa concerning the 19A were hilarious because both the Opposition and the Government voted in its favour.
Speaking further about the 19th Amendment, Perera added that now the President and the Prime Minister had to work in collaboration and seek each other’s opinions and consent and depended on each other during the appointment of ministers.
He also pointed out that despite Rajapaksa claiming that the President’s powers had been trimmed by the 19A this amendment had ensured that a President could not dissolve Parliament whenever he wished or dismiss the Prime Minister.
“During Mahinda Rajapaksa’s criticism over the 19A he had wrongly pointed out that the minimum age to become a presidential candidate was 32. According to the country’s Constitution it is clearly mentioned that a person needs to be at least 30 years of age to be suitable to contest for the post of President. Therefore this showcases Rajapaksa’s inadequate knowledge concerning the Constitution and how poorly he has referred to it during his tenure,” Perera added.
Meanwhile, Media Minister Gayantha Karunatilleke, who was also present at the briefing, said that through the 19A, cobras were turned into rat snakes (Garadiya) and that after enacting the 19th Amendment, MPs of the Opposition who acted like cobras before the amendment was passed have also started to behave like rat snakes.

Conspiracy behind 19A made me vote against: Weerasekara   United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Member of Parliament (MP) Sarath Weerasekara says he voted against the 19th Amendment to the constitution as he saw a conspiracy behind the whole process. Weerasekara, a former military official, was the only MP to vote against the bill in Parliament on Tuesday. The MP said that he had decided to place his country before the party and voted against the bill. The UPFA had voted for the bill with the Government after several amendments were made. Weerasekara accused those involved in formulating the bill of having links with the LTTE. The MP said that while the LTTE has been defeated militarily, the rebels still have their supporters operating with a political agenda. (Colombo Gazette)