CBK stirs the pot for executive presidency abolition, faces uphill task

17 February 2024 09:35 am Views - 1758

Colombo, Feb 17 (Daily Mirror) - Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is reportedly behind the latest move to initiate action for the abolition of the executive presidency ahead of the presidential election, but it is unlikely to succeed given the inability to secure a two-thirds majority from the current Parliament for such an exercise, the Daily Mirror learns.

Ms. Kumaratunga, along with the National Movement for Social Justice spearheaded by former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has approached some NGO and civil society activists to initiate a dialogue to bring in new constitutional amendments for the abolition of the executive presidency and transfer its powers to Parliament and the Cabinet.

It is widely seen as an attempt to postpone the presidential election under the pretext of constitutional changes. Ms Kumaratunga pledged to scrap the system when she sought the presidency for the first time in 1994. Since then, successive leaders have promised to do it in their election campaigns, but nothing materialized after coming to power.

Already, former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena have agreed to scrap the executive presidency.

However, the National People’s Power (NPP) said it is opposed to the rushed abolition of the system with the elections on the horizon.

“This is just another gimmick to postpone elections. If we win the presidential elections, we will scrap it. Before that, it is practically impossible to secure two-thirds to do it in the current Parliament,” NPP MP Vijitha Herath said.