SLPP MP Wijeydasa Rajapakshe says that a majority of those who supported to establish the current government, over 80 per cent, have declared their objection to the 20th Amendment.
Mr. Wijeydasa says that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was given the opportunity to become the president through the 19th Amendment and without it he would have never been able to become a President or at least a Presidential candidate in his lifetime.
He further said that,
“A distorted constitutional amendment which cannot be implemented to the current constitution has been introduced via the 20A.
“The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was the silk road fabricated for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become the President. If it wasn’t passed, he would have never been able to become the President or at least a Presidential candidate in his lifetime. What he is trying to demolish now is that silk road which carved his path towards the Presidency. It is obvious that those responsible in the government have not realized how vicious this issue is. If the 20A is passed, the President will be sharpening the sword of presidency within the next two to three years. They haven’t understood the point yet that it will be the same sword that would behead the current president after it is passed on to the next successor. This is the danger here. Also, the Prime Minister is subjected to the most power diminishing in 20A. I’ll decide whether or not to raise my hand in favor of the 20A, depending on the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“Also, it is mentioned in the constitution that the MPs have no right to remove any power vested in them by Parliament. And we have even taken an oath. If we are raising our hand in favor of curtailing the powers of Parliament, it means that we are violating the constitution.
“Another thing is, about 80 per cent of those who supported the current government, have declared their objection to the 20A. When Mahinda Rajapaksa, who won the war, became the president for 6 years, Basil Rajapaksa sent him home for 4 years and went to \USA. The monks are advising us that this time Mr. Basil would go to USA after sending Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected by 69,000 as the president for 5 years, home just in two years.”
