SJB urges Govt. to withdraw the gazetted 20A

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today urged the government to withdraw the gazetted 20th Amendment to the Constitution as it had already created issues within the government itself and to bring in a new legislation to rectify the technical issues in the 19th Amendment

SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake told a press conference yesterday that the best option available now is to bring in a piece of legislation to rectify the technical issues in the 19th Amendment.

“Prime Miniater Mahinda Rajapaksa is to appoint a committee to look into the proposed 20th Amendment. This implies that there are issues pertaining to the proposed constitutional amendment. Meanwhile Minister Wimal Weerawansa has said he is also planning to bring in amendments to the new piece of legislation. At the same time I noted Minister G L. Peris saying that the 2oth Amendment will be adjusted and a new gazette notification will be issued. This means that the government is planning to withdraw the 20th Amendment and bring in a new piece of legislation. Our suggestion is that 19th Amendment should be retained while a new legislation should be brought in to rectify the technical issues of the 19th Amendment,” Mr. Attanayake said.

Mr. Attanayake welcomed the statement made by Minister Weerawansa that a constitutional amendment will not fill people’s stomachs. “We also agree to this statement made by Mr. Weerawansa. Therefore we urge the government to focus on giving an incentive package to the tourism sector which is an important sector that had fallen as a result of COVID-19,” he said. (Yohan Perera)