Rajapaksa seeks parliament majority to amend constitution

COLOMBO (News1st): Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will amend the constitution if it wins a majority in Parliament at the upcoming election. "This constitution has to change. It has turned out to be a joke. The 19th amendment was drafted based on personal vengeance," Rajapaksa told a public gathering on Sunday. He urged the public to vote for his party by pointing out that they would not be able to introduce any changes if they do not win a majority in the legislature. "We won't be able to do anything if the Prime Minister of the country is elected from a different party," Rajapaksa pointed out. He recalled that a similar situation had existed during the previous coalition government, under which the President and the Prime Minister were from different parties. " The President didn't agree with (Prime Minister) Ranil (Wickremesinghe) and Ranil didn't follow the instructions of the President," Rajapaksa pointed out. He said that ultimately, it was the people who were affected as a result of this conduct.