Sole objective of 20A to safeguard country’s unitary status: PM

Country’s unitary status is safeguarded by the Executive President. This is the mandate which is given to the executive President by the people.

The sole objective of the 20th Amendment is to safeguard the unitary status of the country and to ensure the nation’s security, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday.

Speaking during the debate on the 20th Amendment Prime Minister Rajapaksa said the 19th Amendment to the constitution destroyed the country’s security.

“Look at what is being revealed at the Presidential Commission on the Easter Sunday attack.it has been revealed that more than 10,000 people had prior knowledge on the attacks.it is shameful that the attack could not be prevented despite prior knowledge,” the Prime Minister said.

“19th Amendment was introduced just to take revenge from one family.the real objective of it was to destroy the Rajapaksa family politically. However the country had to face a disaster in the form of Easter Sunday attack at the end of the day,” he added. “The country’s unitary status is safeguarded by the Executive President. this is the mandate which is given to the Executive President by the people. One has to understand that the President has also been given a mandate just like Parliament,” he also said.

The Prime Minister then elaborated on the shortcomings of certain aspects of 19th Amendment.“those who introduced the 19th Amendment claims that an independent election commission was set up as a result of that legislation. Is the election commission independent?. one member of it is engaged in politics openly.he himself filed legal action calling for the postponement of the general election. there are civil members in the constitutional council. they are really representatives of Ngos.,” the Prime Minister said in that regard.

The Prime Minister then urged the members of Parliament to support the new legislation.