News
Bid to abolish executive presidency ploy to postpone elections- Udaya
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila sees a call for abolishing the executive presidency as part of a conspiracy to postpone the next presidential election.
The former minister alleged that President Wickremesinghe had enlisted the backing of some NGOs for his move to put off election.
Addressing the media at his Pita Kotte office, MP Gammanpila said that some NGOs had revived their campaign for doing away with the executive presidency with the blessing of the government. “The Leader of the Opposition said if there was provision for dissolving Parliament soon after the abolition of the executive presidency, his party would support the proposal. The government has accommodated the Opposition Leaders request as a transitional provision. Several political parties in the Opposition have already expressed their support for this proposal. The government expects the support of the SJB, the JVP and the TNA because these parties have already asked for the abolition of the executive presidency.
“The Supreme Court has already determined that a constitutional amendment to abolish the executive presidency will have to be approved by the people at a referendum in addition to ratification by Parliament with a two-thirds majority. After parliamentary approval the proposal should be placed before the people at a referendum. The steps to be taken after the people’s approval are specified in Article 80 of the Constitution.
“However, if there is a petition challenging the validity of the results of the referendum, the President cannot certify the Bill until the Supreme Court determines whether the outcome of the referendum is valid.
“In other words, if a person challenges the validity of the referendum, the executive presidency will not be abolished pending the Supreme Court determination. The incumbent President can remain in power until the dissolution of Parliament in August 2025. The Referendum Act says that every endeavor shall be made to conclude the hearing petitions within six months, but it is not mandatory.
“Some may argue that the present Constitution is in operation until the President certifies the Constitutional Amendment and as a result the Executive Presidency is still in operation. Hence, there is no barrier to hold the Presidential election. Technically, it is true but not pragmatic. We urge opposition parties not to fall into this trap and help the government avoid the next presidential election.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
News
Cabinet nod to legally empower methodology for implementing the ‘Praja Shakthi’ poverty alleviation national movement
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill to legally empower the implementation of ‘Praja Shakthi’ (Strength of the Community) poverty alleviation national movement
…preliminary work started on new Constitution
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday (17) maintained that the NPP government was not under Indian pressure to hold the long delayed Provincial Council elections.
The top JVP official said so appearing on Sirasa Pathikada, anchored by Asoka Dias. Tilvin Silva said that neither the devolution nor terrorism issues had been discussed during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, in New Delhi. This was Tilvin Silva’s first visit to India.
Declaring that politics hadn’t been on the agenda, the JVPer said that the Indian focus was entirely on economic development and technology.
The JVP General Secretary visited India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ (ICCR) Distinguished Visitors Programme from 5-12 February 2026. General Secretary Silva was accompanied by Kitnan Selvaraj, MP, Ilankumaran Karunanathan, MP, JVP Central Committee Member Janaka Adhikari, JVP’s Media Unit Head Hemathilaka Gamage and Member of JVP’s International Relations Department Kalpana Madhubhashini. The delegation visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Responding to another query, Tilvin Silva said that Dr. S. Jaishankar had reiterated that India would always remain a true and trusted partner for Sri Lanka, in accordance with its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and Vision ‘MAHASAGAR.’
Referring to the second JVP insurrection in the late 1980s, the JVPer claimed that they had not been against India but responded to the actions of the then Indian government.
Sri Lanka enacted the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in the wake of the Indo-Lanka peace accord of July 1987 to pave the way for Provincial Councils.
Tilvin Silva said that since they came to power, Indo-Sri Lanka relations had changed. “India has realised we could work together,” he said.
The JVP official said that preliminary work was underway, regarding the formulation of a new Constitution. The abolition of executive presidency and creation of an Office of President sans executive powers, too, would be addressed, he said, adding that the strengthening of the legislature was the other issue at hand.
Pointing out that the NPP had 2/3 majority in Parliament and could introduce a new Constitution on their own, Tilvin Silva said that they intended to obtain views of all and study the past processes in a bid to secure consensus. The JVP, as the party that campaigned against the introduction of executive presidency, way back in 1978, would lead the current effort to do away with the existing Constitution, he said.
Tilvin promised that they would implement what was in their manifesto.
The interviewer also raised the issue of abolishing the pensions for ex-Presidents. Tilvin Silva said that the Supreme Court, too, had approved the move to abolish pensions to ex-MPs. Therefore there was no issue with that, however, the ex-Presidents pensions couldn’t be done away with as they were made through the Constitution. That would be addressed when the government introduced a new Constitution in consultation with other stakeholders.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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