No amendments but a new constitution for UNP, promises Ranil
July 5, 2010 07:41 pm
The United National Party (UNP) does not need amendments to its constitution. The party needs an entirely new constitution, said its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the media this evening.
The UNP’s Reforms committee handed in its proposals to Mr. Wickremesinghe at the Parliamentary complex today.
After the proposals are studied a new constitution will be formulated and presented to the party at the UNP convention by end of this year, said Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
On the current situation in the country, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the UNP along with other opposition parties will take to the streets in protest of the government’s inability to give the public any pay rise and also its inability to reduce the cost of living.
“Our theme for the protest will be ‘Increase the pay: Reduce the taxes’ and it will be a protest against the budget,” said Mr. Wickremesinghe.
The Opposition Leader also said that the government’s decision not to permit Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader Sarath Fonseka to visit Nairobi for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference went against the Harare Declaration of the CPA. Fonseka should be permitted to go as it is his democratic right, stressed mr. Wickremesinghe.
On the incident of the bottle of water thrown at him during the Budget debate, Mr. Wickremesinghe said that government members threaten him in the morning and hit him with bottled water in the evening. “What wrong have I done?” asked Mr. Wickremesinghe.