• Says Parliament should meet day and night daily and prepare a framework agreeable to all parties
• “The framework for economic stability should be coupled with constitutional reforms” 

By Yohan Perera

All political parties should focus on establishing a joint framework to ensure the availability of essential items rather than playing political games with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena said yesterday.   

“Parliament should meet day and night daily and prepare a framework agreeable to all parties to ensure the availability of essential items. What people want is gas, petrol, diesel and food rather than the 21st Amendment,” Mr. Abeywardena said.  

“The framework for economic stability should be coupled with constitutional reforms,” he added.  
“Executive Presidency cannot be abolished now because of the constitutional provisions that it should be done through a referendum. However an opportunity of abolishing it was lost in 2019 as the cabinet was divided. Some Ministers who represent the cabinet of 2015 did not want the Executive Presidency abolished saying the presidential elections should be held as there is an opportunity of a UNPer getting elected as the executive president,” he said.  

Asked whether any leader who represents any political party is currently trying to go against his followers, Mr. Abeywardena said the whole population should go against such a leader if he is deceiving his followers.