PM confident 20A will not clip his wings

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Tuesday (29), said that the powers enjoyed by him would not be reduced by the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

Rajapaksa addressing newspaper editors and electronic media heads at Temple Trees said the allies of the government held different views on the 20th Amendment, but in the end, all of them would hold one view.

Rajapaksa said Cabinet approval had been granted for a paper presented to halt slaughter of cattle and it would be presented as a Bill in the future and introduced as a law.

He said the ban on importing turmeric would continue, and it was a step taken to encourage the local farmers and added that if the price of imported turmeric was reduced, the local farmers would get demoralised.

Responding to a query why the confiscated turmeric was not released to the local market and instead re-exported, the Prime Minister said it was done with a view of encouraging the local farmers.

Rajapaksa said that there was a plan to revive the tourism industry, but it would take some time to yield results. He said right now the industry was dependent on domestic tourism.

“We are concerned about re-opening of the international airport,” he added.

Asked about the proposed new Constitution, Minister Udaya Gammanpila said a team of renowned lawyers including Romesh de Silva, PC were studying about the new Constitution and the need for a new constitution had been discussed since the time of President Premadasa.