Overwhelming majority in passing 18th Amendment :

Opposition MPs acted in national interest

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Government has reiterated that the overwhelming majority in passing the 18th Amendment in Parliament clearly demonstrates even most of the Opposition Parliamentarians understood the need for such an Amendment in the national interest.

The Government is happy over it as we always had partisan politics. Whenever the Government did something, the Opposition disagreed. However, it was not so when this Amendment was moved because everybody knew that this Amendment would help the country to move forward, Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Sunday Observer.

The Minister said the country has reached a critical juncture today. After terrorism was eradicated the economy is moving faster and investments are flowing in. Therefore, the political process should be facilitated to accelerate growth.

Commenting on the present plight of the Opposition, the Minister said that this was not a healthy trend in a democracy. We wish to have a strong Opposition. However, the Opposition should find its own advisors to stem this situation.

It is up to them to resolve their differences, he said.

Asked about the Opposition’s allegations that the 18th Amendment was passed for the incumbent President to be in power as long as he wished, Minister de Silva said that if the Opposition says so, it shows their political bankruptcy. What can the Government do if the Opposition does not have a candidate who could match President Rajapaksa. Just because the Opposition does not have a proper leader, it does not mean that our leader should not be allowed to contest an election, the Minister said.