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| Sunday, 8 September 2002 |
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President-PM meet awaited: PA flounders over 19th Amendment by S. Selvakumar The People's Alliance hierarchy was busy yesterday drafting some changes to the 19th Amendment which is to be introduced in Parliament by the Government next week and President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was scheduled to meet the Prime Minister yesterday evening to discuss the changes. However, Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe's media spokesman Saman Athaudahetti told the Sunday Observer that no finality has been reached on the meeting. When asked whether the 19th amendment will include the proposed Parliamentarians' Conscience Vote Bill or was only aimed at clipping the constitutional right of the President to dissolve the House after one year of formation, he said that discussions are still under way regarding this matter, too. Though the PA claimed that their Parliamentarians unanimously decided to oppose the 19th amendment at the Parliamentary group meeting held on Friday presided by President Kumaratunga, a senior PA source said that it was not so and many PA MPs wanted some changes to the draft amendment. It was also revealed that soon after the PA Parliamentary Group meeting the President was seen talking to many Parliamentarians individually and wanted them to sign undated letters of resignation in a bid to stop them from voting for the 19th amendment. Former PA ministers A.H.M. Fowzie, Richard Pathirana and Ronnie de Mel were notable absentees at Friday's meeting. When contacted by the Sunday Observer Fowzie said he could not attend the meeting since he was attending the Jumma Prayers. "The meeting was badly timed," he said. When asked whether that was the only reason, he was affirmative. Messrs Pathirana and Ronnie de Mel were not available for comment. When asked whether he would support the government on the 19th amendment Fowzie shot back. "What is the other alternative?" Explaining further, the former minister said that nobody wants an election at this time. "If we don't support the 19th amendment, the government cannot obtain a two-thirds majority but will exercise its constitutional right and will call a general election. Can the country afford a general election at this time. What will happen to the peace process then? Every intelligent Parliamentarian including myself will support the amendment. After all we have been given a mandate to represent the people for six years and we like to continue" he added. On the issue of alleged attempts by the President to obtain undated resignation letters from PA Parliamentarians, Fowzie said that his party vehemently opposed this move when former President J.R. Jayewardene resorted to this and questioned as to how his party could consent to this now. The government has decided to gazette the 19th amendment tomorrow and submit it to the House on September 16. Meanwhile, authoritative governmental sources said that the PA is in utter disarray on the 19th amendment and that the UNF was confident of getting the required numbers in Parliament to pass the amendment. |
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