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The LSSP is glad that the Supreme Court by its decision on the 18th and 19th Amendments has upheld the Constitution, the party said yesterday.

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) challenged the 19th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Supreme Court in order to alert the people to the retrogressive features in the proposed change in the Constitution, a party news release said.

Excerpts from the release: "The LSSP has at all times had its objection to the entirety of the present crisis ridden constitution. But it made known to the Supreme Court too that tinkering with the system as provided for in the Bill will result in further confusion and crisis and that nothing short of the system's outright abolition can normalise the administration of the country.

"Nevertheless the LSSP with great respect states it cannot acquiesce in the suggested extension of the period of one year to three years within which period the President cannot dissolve Parliament on his/her own initiative. The LSSP states that the people have the right to seek from the President the dissolution of Parliament where the elected Parliament cannot or is unwilling to carry out its mandate sought and obtained from the people.

The progressive forces in this country have every need to ensure that governments cannot with impunity carry through IMF and World Bank fiats no matter how necessary these be from ministerial perspectives. The government must seek out methods of governance within existing constitutional provisions to maintain itself for the full period for which parliament has been elected.

"The LSSP does not believe that the possibility of Parliament being dissolved after its first year is likely to disturb the peace process. In fact this will keep both the Government and the LTTE aware of the need to conduct the process with transparency and the co-operation of the main Opposition party the PA and the President." 

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