Constitutional reforms: Final decision after General Election – Johnston

A final decision on Constitutional reforms will be taken after the upcoming Parliamentary election, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando, said. He was answering a query, raised by media, on 3 January at the Parliament complex.

He said, “Our Government is expecting to take final decisions on Constitutional reforms after the upcoming Parliamentary Election. Having a stable Government and a clear Constitution are crucial factors for a country. Former President Premadasa amended the Constitution to make sure of more seats in Parliament for Ashraff.

That destruction came to an end after the defeat of those who brought in the 19th Amendment. We don’t have majority in Parliament, yet we are continuing the development process.

The UNP and others who were in power are responsible for this imbalance. The JVP is also responsible for that situation. They had amended the Constitution as per the desires of the international community and it has led to a drop in development.

It has hindered development activities which were expected to be carried out by the Government in line with the vision of President Rajapaksa. We are unable to present a new budget to provide financial assistance for these projects due to the 19th Amendment. We will wait until 3 March.”

(Source: Ceylon Today)