Amendments Bill: No opposition within Govt, says Dinesh, several UPFA members will abstain, says John

The proposed amendments to the existing elections system will be brought before Parliament after the Constitutional Amendments Bill which will be taken up on Wednesday (Sept. 08), Chief Government Whip Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Adaderana.

The new system is to be a mix of the existing Proportionate Representation System and the earlier first-past-the-post system, which has been discussed earlier, he said. When asked whether the upcoming Local Government polls will be held after the existing system is amended, Minister Gunawardene said the possibility was more.

Mr. Gunawardena also said that though several leftist parties represented in parliament under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had shown displeasure at the Constitutional Amendments Bill, they have agreed to support it in parliament on September 8.

However, when Adaderana inquired from United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian and Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga on whether UNP members would vote with the Government on the Constitutional Amendments Bill, he said they had plans to prevent such an eventuality. On the contrary, there are several Government members who are not supportive of the Amendments and who may abstain from voting on Wednesday, he said.

Asked if the UNP is planning to encourage them to vote with the opposition, Mr. Amaratunga said plans were afoot to make them just do that instead of abstaining.

Meanwhile, media reports have quoted Polonnaruwa District UNP member Earl Gunasekera as saying that he would support the government on the Constitutional Amendments Bill.