Vital week for Sirisena: Will he make or break the SLFP?

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, April 26, 2015

19A to be debated tomorrow, but suspicions remain whether SLFP dissidents would delay or derail it -- SLMC and JVP strongly criticise SLFP's electoral reforms proposals; Rajitha erred in saying Cabinet approved it -- Concern over moves to present 20A as an urgent Bill sans public debate; 255-member House proposed

Weeks of political uncertainty that thrust Sri Lanka on the road to instability are to end for good or for the worse next week. The good is if the 19A is passed in Parliament after a two-day debate due to begin tomorrow. It is to be followed by electoral reforms through a 20A within weeks. The bad, firstly, is if measures to prune down powers of the Executive Presidency, a main pledge that thrust Maithripala Sirisena to the Presidency, are defeated. Secondly, a double blow will come if efforts to introduce a new electoral system through a 20A are similarly voted out.

The fears of such a possibility keep mounting. Parliamentarians supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa are stepping up the ante. They want to deny a two-thirds vote though the Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) decided unanimously to support both amendments. It is these MPs who are now calling the shots. Their latest position is that they want to move amendments to 19A. One such instance is to make provision that the proposed Constitutional Council to be set up should comprise only parliamentarians. The move to include this amendment is being spearheaded by the pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa faction.

Vital Week for Sirisena Will He Make or Break the SLFP by Thavam Ratna