The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a constituent party of the ruling UPFA government, on Sunday adopted a resolution comprising of 7 main proposals for reforms at the party’s 11th convention, including a call for the banning of alcohol, gambling and prostitution in the country.

The proposals come under the seven main themes of political reforms, state administration, law and judiciary, good governance, Sinhala heritage, economic development, Buddha Sasana, religious affairs and virtue.
 
 These resolutions call for the removal of the Executive President’s power to appoint Supreme Court judges and Court of Appeal judges and that the president should be made answerable to parliament.

Under political reforms, the Buddhist nationalist party called for the reduction of the Cabinet to 25 members and another to amend the Constitution to get rid of presidential immunity before the presidential election, which is slated for January 2015.

One proposal demands that the Minister of Buddha Sasana come under the direct purview of the President while an act, ensuring the safeguarding of the Buddha Sasana, be presented to Parliament.   

The JHU also warned that while it will not support UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Elections, it will not hesitate to back another common candidate if President Rajapaksa does not take concerns raised by the JHU seriously.

JHU MP, the venerable Athureliya Rathana, addressing the 11th summit of the JHU at the national youth center in Maharagama, urged the Government to bring constitutional changes, including those proposed by the JHU, before holding a Presidential election next year.