JVP is prepared to bring in amendments

If former President Mahinda Rajapaksa feels that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution presented by the JVP is not sufficient to abolish the Executive Presidency, the JVP is prepared to bring in amendments to it, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media after a meeting to educate the estate workers in Agarapathana on the current political situation Dissanayake said that those who did not have an iota of knowledge about the 20th Amendment were against it.

“Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated that he was of the opinion that the Executive Presidency has to be abolished and that he would not mobilize the people against any move to scrap it.“only those political parties that cannot survive without the executive presidential mode of governance are against our move” the JVP leader said.

He said that Sri Lanka had been under the executive presidential system for the past 40 years and the system has proved its failure in solving the problems faced by the people.“that is why we are suggesting to abolish this system and go for a system based on the Parliamentary democracy” he added.

Commenting on the drug issue

Mr. Dissanayake stressed that the government should pay more emphasis on those who smuggle in drugs into the country rather than those using them. It is no point in arresting one or two drug related offenders while keeping those who use drugs in the government and giving protection to some other offenders, he observed.