ISMATHUL RAHMAN
NEGOMBO : Parliamentarian Nimal Lanza said here on Saturday, Aug 19 that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has a double standard policy regarding the devolution of power.
Lanza in a release said that the SLPP does not have any moral right to oppose a program for a devolution of power which is acceptable to all with the inputs of all political parties in parliament.
He said that SLPP leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was for a power sharing that goes beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
“The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is a part of the Constitution of the country and President Ranil Wickremesinghe is striving for a power sharing mechanism under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that is acceptable to people of all communities in the country”, he said
He said that SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam’s opposition towards this program led by President Wickremesinghe clearly shows the double standard of the SLPP on the devolution of power.
Lanza is of the view that peace and reconciliation among the different communities in the country help build a stable economy while preserving the unity of the country.
“Country should go for a power sharing mechanism to rebuild the confidence people of different communities , he said
He said that such a power sharing mechanism will also help integrate the all communities in the country into the economic development process instilling the Sri Lankan identity in the minds of people.
Lanza also said that international confidence in the country can be restored by implementing a power sharing model which is acceptable to all.
It should be explained on what basis the SLPP secretary of the party presents an opinion that is different from the opinion its leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as the opinion of the majority of MPs.
He said that a small number of MPs in the party have said that that the SLPP will field a candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election. “If it is so, they should reveal who is vying for the presidential election from the SLPP”, he said
The program of the current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who brought about economic, social and political stability by rebuilding the country due to the crises has been forgotten by a few people who have lost public confiedence.
It is regrettable that a few persons in SLPP are trying to forget the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe who created an atmoshphere for them to engage in politics, Lanza said
