Govt. names PSC members; opposition denies invitation
The government has nominated 19 members tentatively from the UPFA for the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and will go ahead to discuss and entertain comments and proposals from the public and other
If the government expects to go ahead single handedly, let it do that
stakeholders to draft a new constitution unilaterally if the opposition parties ignore the Speaker’s invitation to nominate.
The government has nominated 19 members tentatively from the UPFA for the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and would go ahead to discuss and entertain comments and proposals from the public and other stakeholders to draft a new constitution unilaterally if the opposition parties ignore the Speaker’s invitation to nominate their members to the PSC, a senior Cabinet Minister said yesterday
their members to the PSC, a senior Cabinet Minister said yesterday.
Chief Government Whip Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva told Daily Mirror that a list of 19 members representing all political parties of the UPFA to the 31 member PSC has been sent to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa by the Presidential Secretariat approved by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday.
“The speaker has already intimated all opposition political parties to send in their nominees as early as possible. We will discuss the developments at the party leaders meeting before the next Parliamentary sessions and take a decision to activate the PSC and begin deliberations even without the opposition members,” Minister De Silva said.
Minister De Silva who is expected to head the PSC added that the PSC comprises 19 members from the government and 12 members from the opposition. However, there is no restriction constitu- tionally or otherwise to meet and take decisions as it holds the majority of the PSC and added the PSC could be activated before the end of June once the Speaker constitutes it with 19 UPFA members.
Meanwhile, UNP General Secretary, Parliamentarian Tissa Attanayaka while saying that the UNP did not receive any invitation from the Speaker to nominate UNP members to the PSC added that the party was ready to consider such an invitation positively under three conditions.
“If the government takes measures to conduct a free and fair election in the North in September as promised, deploy foreign observers to monitor the election including members from the Commonwealth and the EU and appoints a civilian governor to the North before the polls, we are ready to consider such request from the Speaker positively,” Mr. Attanayaka told Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, TNA leader R. Sampanthan also said he did not receive any intimation up to yesterday from the Speaker.
“If the TNA receives such invitation I must discuss the matter with my other colleagues in the TNA and arrive at a decision,” Mr. Sampanthan said.
However, TNA strongman, Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran taking a more strong stance asked ‘What PSC and for what purpose?”
“We have informed our position on the PSC to the government months ago. The government must respond to that before activating the PSC on its own. If the government expects to go ahead single handedly, let them do that. What ever decision taken by this PSC would be arbitrarily taken by the government but not a decision taken by Parliament,” Mr. Premachandran stressed.
The PSC was originally proposed by 14 government members representing all political parties in the UPFA in November, 2011.
The PSC was tasked to recommend and report on political and constitutional measures to empower the people of Sri Lanka to live as one nation whereas it is necessary to devise a constitutional framework in such a manner as to ensure that all People will preserve and promote their respective identities and live with dignity and security as one nation.
“And whereas such unity will promote socio, economic, political and cultural development of all the People and the country; and whereas a Select Committee of Members of Parliament being a committee of the elected representatives of the people is best equipped to determine the nature and scope of steps to be taken to enable the aforesaid.