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20A: Revolt by smaller parties
Minor and minority parties will meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today to protest over the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, party representatives said. The meeting will be a prelude to a discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena tomorrow where they will call for the withdrawal of the 20th Amendment that seeks to change the electoral system.
In the event of the failure to secure an assurance from the President or the Prime Minister, the parties have decided to launch awareness and protest campaigns throughout the country, highlighting the adverse consequences for minor and minority parties, they said.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the Tamil National Alliance, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the Ceylon Workers Congress, the newly formed Tamil Progressive Alliance and the All Ceylon Makkal Congress are among the parties demanding the withdrawal of the amendment.
SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said the reforms already gazetted had not taken into consideration the proposals put forward by minority parties and therefore they were demanding the withdrawal of the reforms. “We will take the issue to the public and explain the consequences of the amendment. We will protest calling for the withdrawal of the amendments,” he said.
TNA Parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah said minority parties would have less representation in Parliament if the 20th Amendment was implemented. “We will start educating the people in the north and east about the impact of the amendment,” he said.
ACMC Leader and Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said failure to withdraw the proposed amendment would lead to an island-wide agitation campaign. “The minority representation will be reduced even in areas where the minority community live in large numbers. This would even include areas like Puttalam, Ampara, Trincomalee and Beruwala,” he said.