Lanza backs the president on power sharing

Parliamentarian Nimal Lanza said today that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has adopted a double standard when it comes to the devolution of power. Lanza, in a release, said that the SLPP does not have any moral right to oppose a programme of devolution of power that is acceptable to all with the input of all political parties in parliament. He said that SLPP leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was for power sharing that went beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. "The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is a part of the Constitution of the country, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe is striving for a power-sharing mechanism under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that is acceptable to people of all communities in the country", he said. He said that SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam’s opposition to this programme led by President Wickremesinghe clearly shows the double standard of the SLPP on the devolution of power. Lanza is of the view that peace and reconciliation among the different communities in the country help build a stable economy while preserving the unity of the country. "The country should go for a power sharing mechanism to rebuild the confidence of people from different communities, he said. He said that such a power-sharing mechanism will also help integrate all communities in the country into the economic development process, instilling Sri Lankan identity in the minds of people. Lanza also said that international confidence in the country can be restored by implementing a power-sharing model that is acceptable to all. It should be explained on what basis the SLPP secretary of the party presents an opinion that is different from the opinion of its leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as the opinion of the majority of MPs. He said that a small number of MPs in the party have said that the SLPP will field a candidate for the upcoming presidential election. "If it is so, they should reveal who is vying for the presidential election from the SLPP", he said.