Sugath Samarasinghe

We know that JVP has submitted a Private Members’ Bill for a 20^th Amendment to the Constitution proposing the Executive Presidency to be abolished. Then why have they nominated a candidate for the forthcoming Presidential Elections? That begs for an answer, in my mind. Isn’t there a contradiction? What is their logic here?

I would imagine, if they were really genuine in their intention, they should rather concentrate their energies on winning sufficient no of seats in the next Parliamentary elections, as the immediate need to achieve such an objective will be to secure a two third’s majority in Parliament, to carry through such a proposal there, as a first step.

Thereafter, they may have to work hard to convince the people on the need to have the Presidential system done away with, to succeed at a Referendum. It may be quite a formidable task because it seems to be that it is the politicians of the different Parties that are keen on it. At the moment the people do not seem to consider it to be a priority for them.

Their concern appears to be more on the politicization of the System, the inefficiency of the Administration, lack of integrity and accountability and of curse downright corruption