No intention to block 19A -- Nimal Siripala

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament yesterday that the intention of the SLFP was not to block the 19th Amendment but to ensure that it would be a people friendly piece of legislation.

"A wrong impression is being created by the government that we in the SLFP are trying to block the amendment," he said.

He proposed several amendments -- including the appointment of MPs to the proposed constitutional council, removal of the clause which provides for the appointment of a nominee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to the Judicial Service Commission and provisions to remove the Prime Minister.

He said SLFP would support the 19th Amendment subject to government's response to the amendments proposed by his party.

JVP MP Vijitha Herath said his party was also opposed to the appointment of a BASL nominee to the Judicial Service Commission. However he said his party would support the 19th Amendment