The 19th Amendment to the Constitution created the disagreements, contradictions and conflicts between the then President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and that resulted in serious lapses in national security, ultimately leading to Easter Sunday terror attacks, SLPP MP Gevindu Kumaratunga told Parliament on Thursday.

Participating in the adjournment debate on the report of the presidential commission of inquiry on Easter Sunday terror attacks, the MP said the report shed light on how the security apparatus operated under the former government. “There are accounts on how our officers acted in the face of the spread of Wahabism in the country. Those in Parliament, judiciary and non-governmental organisations helped create such a situation and should take the responsibility for the outcome. The JVP and the TNA too are responsible for this; they helped Ranil Wickremesinghe to stay in power.”

Kumaratunga said that the Opposition found fault with the PCoI report for not identifying the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks. “The Opposition claims that the mastermind of the attack has not been identified purposely. There was a parliamentary select committee comprising those who are currently in the Opposition to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks. Did they identify the mastermind of the attacks?”