Wijedasa proposes 21st Amendment which enables Parliament to elect new President

• Says executive powers vested in the presidency should be transferred to the cabinet members

 By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana 

SLPP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had handed over the 21st Amendment to the constitution, under which he proposed the transformation of executive powers of President to the cabinet and to elect a new President by Parliament forthwith. 

The MP, when inquired by the Daily Mirror, confirmed that he had handed over the private members Bill to the Secretary-General of Parliament through which he had proposed the 21st Amendment to the constitution. 
Mr. Rajapakshe said he has proposed in his private members Bill the executive powers vested in the presidency shall be transferred to the cabinet members, making them responsible to Parliament and the people. Thereby, he had proposed that the legislature will be given the power to monitor the exercise of executive powers. 
Also, he proposed the election of a new President and the office of the incumbent President shall cease with such election. 

He had also proposed the new President appoint the Member of Parliament who commands a majority as the new Prime Minister. 

Mr. Rajapakshe in his private members Bill has proposed the appointment of an interim cabinet which comprises MPs from all parties which represent Parliament, The Interim government shall continue until the term of the House is over or when it is dissolved. The interim government should formulate long term and short term policies to restore the economy. 

During the recent past, our experience is that every President we brought in is corrupt, inefficient and incompetent than the former. Now people despise and hate all politicians and have no confidence in incumbent rulers. The basic norms and principles of democracy have steeply deteriorated. Unless we make a concerted effort to restore our lost glory in economy and democracy disregarding our race, language, religion, political ideology etc, the country would lead towards anarchy. If we have to get out of this quagmire, people must give up their subjugation to their deceptive political leaders and parties. People’s representatives shall be more patriotic to the motherland than to the corrupt leadership in politics. If we have to find a solution to existing crises, the first and foremost option is to have the executive powers in governance transferred to the Cabinet of Ministers by way of an urgent constitutional reform making them responsible to the Parliament and the people.