Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only person who said that a power devolution exceeding 13th amendment to the Constitution was needed to strengthen ethnic harmony, Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said.
The minister said Former President Rajapaksa had pledged to an Indian media during the humanitarian operation that he would go for “Thirteen plus” going beyond the 13th amendment to the Constitution.
“Rajapaksa, who promised for the full implementation of 13+, is now opposing the implementation of a new Constitution claiming that the government is going to betray the country. He had said he would accept any recommendation of the Parliamentary Select Committee on power sharing based on 13+,” the minister said.
He said Rajapaksa could not appoint a parliamentary select committee (PSC) as pledged, as he could not obtain the consent of political parties.
“Rajapaksa, who talked about power sharing by implementing 13 plus, is now opposing a new Constitution,” he said.
Answering to the media, the minister said President Maithripala Sirisena received a mandate to prepare a new Constitution.
He said other political parties in the government should understand that the UNP was mandated by people at the General Election.
All political parties had expressed their consent to curtail powers of the Executive Presidency, he said.
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