The voter would be given the opportunity to decide on who the organizer of their electorate would be, resulting in the elimination of unnecessary friction, Wickremesinghe observed.
Proposals made in 1988 to modify the PV method he noted, were shelved, because some objected to it on the grounds that the voter would be disempowered. On the contrary, it had led to infighting among members of the same political party.
The UNP’s new draft constitution was progressive and aimed at avoiding a repetition of past excesses and mistakes, Wickremesinghe said adding that it covered all areas of governance including the re-establishment of the rule of law and the dignity and sovereign rights of the people, which had been forcibly taken away by the Rajapaksa regime.
The UNP leader noted that their new constitutional formulation was unique, since it gave the people three options of political governance to chose from and should be subjected to the widest possible discussion and debate.
The Executive Presidency would be abolished and its powers divided among the Head of State, Prime Minister and the Speaker’s Council. The first option was to elect a Prime Minister who would govern with the Cabinet, which would be responsible to Parliament. The other system proposed, he said was for executive power to be exercised on an apolitical basis, subject to checks and balances.
The third option was to adopt a system similar to the Westminster model, Wickremesinghe observed.
The UNP leader said that there was an urgent need to enact a new constitution, which would enable the establishment of a just and equitable society, where all citizens could live in peace and harmony while enjoying their fundamental rights, irrespective of creed, religion, language or political opinion.
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