4 May 2022 09:43 am Views - 412
By Kelum Bandara
An all party government inclusive of all the parties with parliamentary representation turned out to be unrealistic yesterday since the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) insisted during talks with the ruling party independents that it could not agree to such a mechanism unless a firm step was taken for scrapping executive presidency, Daily Mirror learns.
On behalf of the SJB, its General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and four other MPs - Dr. Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, Gayantha Karunatilake and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne attended the meeting. The other side was represented by MPs Nimal Lansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa, Tiran Alles, Nalin Perera and Nimal Siripala de Silva. The SJB reiterated that it would not join any government to be formed under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Also, it insisted that the executive presidency should be scrapped forthwith.
However, the government’s dissident group said that abolition of executive presidency should be done along with changes in the electoral system and the provincial council system as otherwise it would lead to unstable governments in the future with a bearing on national sovereignty.
Also, the dissident MPs said they would consider support for the no confidence motion only if the SJB put forward the next plan to govern the country. If a no confidence motion is passed by Parliament, the Cabinet will stand dissolved.