UNP-SLMC scuttling 20A: Nimal
Addressing the weekly news briefing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at the party office, he said Opposition was determined to increase the new Parliament to 250 or 255 seats despite the UNP’s stance not to increase the Parliament’s composition beyond 225 seats.
Meanwhile, the draft of the 20th Amendment has been gazetted Tuesday midnight with a 237-seat Parliament under the new electoral reforms, as approved by the Cabinet last Friday.
The Opposition expects to introduce amendments including the increase of the number of seats in Parliament to 255, when the 20th Amendment is debated at the Committee Stage in Parliament.
The Opposition would consult Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya and the Electoral Sub-Committee appointed to draft the Bill, Mr. De Silva said.
The Cabinet of Ministers at the special meeting held on Friday decided to increase the number of seats to 237 with 145 from First Past the Post system, 55 from the National Proportional System and 37 from the National List.
“The UNP, while agreeing to a 237-seat Parliament at the Cabinet expresses its opposition to increase the number of seats from current 225. The SLMC meanwhile demands two ballot papers. Both parties do not want electoral reforms but elections. We are ready for elections at any time, but we must support President Sirisena to fulfil his pledges given at the Presidential Poll. That is why we want the 20th Amendment to be passed before dissolution,” he said.
Mr. De Silva said the government agreed to give a date to take up for debate the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the third week of July and the exact date for the debate would be decided at the next party leaders meeting.
The no-confidence motion against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake will be debated and vote is to be taken at 6.30 p.m. on Monday July 6.
“We had a big fight with the government to move the two no confidence motions in Parliament and allocate dates for the debates as the government kept sidestepping the issue despite our insistence. However, we won the day for the opposition as the two no confidence motions will be debated and vote is taken shortly,” he said.
Mr. De Silva demanded the government to leave as it has failed in all fronts and let the SLFP to form a government.
“Notwithstanding the rhetoric of Finance Minister Karunanayake, the Government does not have money, even to pay charity allowance to the low income families.
“Tourist arrivals have decreased. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has come down to a drip. China, the best friend of Sri Lanka, who had invested heavily, has been antagonised and all development work, big, medium and small have come to a standstill,” Mr. De Silva charged and vowed that a UPFA government would bring the country back on its feet.
Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva yesterday charged that the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) were in a move to scuttle the passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament and the two political parties issue conflicting and different statements on electoral reforms at different times.