President Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the Parliament has the power to pass new laws to solve the problems. He mentioned that he is only bringing relevant proposals for the country and that he, with only one vote in the Parliament, cannot do those tasks alone. He emphasized that all the people representing the Parliament should work collectively and commit to moving forward with these matters.
He made these statements while addressing the All-Party Conference held at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.
The purpose of the All-Party Conference was to inform the party leaders representing the Parliament about the National Reconciliation Program and the North-East Development Plan.
Recalling that not only he but also the previous seven executive presidents did not have the power to pass new laws to solve existing problems, the President emphasized that the parliament has the authority to pass new laws for that purpose. He is only bringing relevant proposals for the country.
Seven of the nine provincial councils are located in areas where the majority of Sinhalese people live.
The President mentioned that some subjects included in the first list of provincial councils are under the central government. Therefore, the provincial councils should be given those powers, as well as the powers to run grassroots activities in fields such as agriculture and tourism.
Furthermore, the President suggested that all parties should discuss together and make a decision regarding the provision of police powers to the Provincial Councils, as indicated in the 13th Amendment of the Constitution.
Presidential Media Unit.