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Nationalists urged JO to reconsider its decision Support for 20-A

The Federation of National Organisations (FNO) a forum of patriotic organizations of Sri Lanka, urged the Joint Opposition (JO) to reconsider its decision to support the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, to be moved by pro-UNP and pro-federal political party JVP to abolish the executive presidency.

Alleging that India and Western powers were behind the 20-A project, the FNO claimed that it was in line with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s promise to those involved in a high profile operation in 2014/2015 to bring the Rajapaksa government to an end. JVP is taking the contract to carry for UNP for financial and political gains.

Addressing the media, at their Rajagiriya office yesterday, senior FNO representatives, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Dr. Wasantha Bandara and Mohan Samaranayake asserted that the JVP had been asked to move 20-A as the UNP wasn’t in a position to do so due to current political crisis.

The civil society grouping addressed the media, close on the heels for UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse and former UPFA MP retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera flaying the JO for supporting the 20-A.

Dr. Amarasekara said that in case Parliament wanted to repeal 20-A, the 13th A, too, should be repealed simultaneously.

Praising the 16 SLFP MPs who had switched their allegiance to what he called the genuine Opposition, after voting for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on April 4, Dr. Amarasekara urged the remaining SLFPers loyal to President Sirisena to quit the government and sit in the Opposition. He stressed the importance of depriving the pro-federal Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government of a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Dr. Amarasekera alleged that India and Western powers had prevented President Sirisena from leaving the UNP-led government, though he really wanted to oust Wickremesinghe. They wouldn’t allow President Sirisena to take a stand until the TNA had achieved division of post war Sri Lanka through constitutional means.

Underscoring the importance of the executive presidency, Senior journalist Mohan Samaranayake said the continuation of executive presidency was essential to ensure political stability and protect its unitary status of the country.

Referring to the recent 10-point agreement, PM Wickremesinghe entered into with the pro-LTTE Tamil political party TNA, on the eve of the vote on the no-confidence motion, Samaranayake said that the JO seemed to be blind to the ground situation. Had the JO studied developments and examined the situation closely, it wouldn’t have offered even conditional support to enact 20-A, he said.

FNO Executive Committee Member Dr. Wasantha Bandara lashed out at JO for pledging conditional support for the 20th Amendment. He claimed that the JO would be taken for a ride again.



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