With the much awaited enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the people of Sri Lanka will experience the true meaning of ‘democracy and peace’, President Maithripala Sirisena said on Monday (27).
President Sirisena made the observation after he began the second reading of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution at the Parliament.
Sirisena went on to say the people of the island nation are of the view that the arbitrary powers of the executive presidency must be diminished. “This was included in the Mahinda Chinthana as well. Which means, those who voted in favour of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also wanted the 19th Amendment be implemented,” Sirisena said.
The President also appealed all the members to unanimously support to pass the amendment for the sake of the future generation.
“During the Presidential polls in 1994 and 1999, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga pledged to diminish the executive powers of the president. Rajapaksa also promised the same, but failed to bring about what he promised. This is a historic chapter in the city’s history where we about to make the much awaited change,” he said.
