21 A: Weerasekera says they could have denied 2/3

SLPP MP Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera yesterday (27) told The Island that about two dozen SLPP lawmakers had been ready to vote against the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill but due to pressure exerted by the government they had skipped the vote.Weerasekera said that at the voting time his colleagues had succumbed to pressure.

About 45 members either abstained or were overseas on the day of the vote. The former Public Security Minister said that his efforts to convince Premier Dinesh Gunawardena were in vain.Responding to another query, MP Weerasekera alleged that the parliamentary group was deceived by those who propagated the lie that the country would be deprived of USD 2.9 bn by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if the parliament failed to enact the 21st Amendment.

MP Weerasekera said that he asked the group whether they would have to accept MCC and SOFA if Western powers insisted on those agreements.The ex-Minister said that at a meeting chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat on Oct 17, the group was told that the proceedings could be brought to an end after the second reading. However, the government parliamentary group meeting on Friday was used to influence members, MP Weerasekera said, adding that he was confident they could have denied 2/3 for the new law if they maintained a strong stand against the 21st Amendment. (SF)