Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday asked why the UPFA government had failed to bring in a new electoral system despite enjoying a two-thirds majority.

Speaking during an adjournment debate in Parliament, Mr. Wickrmesinghe charged that the UPFA government failed to bring in any fruitful constitutional reforms.

He said the adjournment debate on the 20th Amendment was moved in Parliament in order to allow all parties to voice their opinion with regard to a new electoral system. “Allowing all parties to voice their opinions is the ideology of President Maithripala Sirisena,” he said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said that what Cabinet had done was to compile a document pertaining to electoral reforms so that a broad discussion would be possible.

He said the report of the select committee headed by MP Dinesh Gunawardene should also be discussed. He said the best loser system suggested by the Dinesh Gunawardene committee should also be considered

Responding to allegations by the opposition that the UNP was trying to jettison the 20th Amendment, he said it was those who wanted the no confidence motions taken up first who were trying to jettison it. “It will take at least a month for parliament to take up the 20th Amendment for debate if the no confidence motions are taken up first,” he said.(Yohan Perera and Kelum Bandara)