UNP raises another objection

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 March 2000, 15:32 GMT]
The Parliamentary group of the United National Party (UNP) resolved today to oppose the PA government's proposals for constitutional change on grounds of procedure.

The Parliamentary group discussed the revision of the PA's 1997 constitutional reform package and resolved that it was wrong on the part of the government to have done so as it (the package) had been placed before the Parliamentary Select Committee on constitutional Reform for deliberation.

The UNP will protest against the PA regime's unilateral decision to make revisions to the constitutional reform proposals that had been before the Parliamentary Select Committee in 1997 said an opposition MP.

The UNP is of the view that the proposals for constitutional amendments have to be deliberated and decided upon by the Parliamentary Select Committee he said, adding that the government was disregarding the right procedure and was acting unilaterally.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan President invited the leader of the Opposition, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, today to discuss the UNP's own proposals for constitutional change that he had sent her last month. The President informed Mr.Wickremesinghe in a letter she sent him today acknowledging the receipt of his communication that a meeting has been arranged on Thursday March 9 at nine a.m.

However, the meeting that the Tamil parties in Parliament had fixed on February 28 with the executive committee of the PA to discuss the revised proposals of the government on constitutional change has been postponed to March 27.

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