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.”
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
Accepting deposits for Local Authorities Election concludes
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