DailyMirror
Addition to the 17th Amendment to the Constitution
The Trade Union Alliance (TUC) yesterday proposed to appoint a media commission in addition to the other commissions that are appointed by the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.
The TUC at a news conference held yesterday said though they agreed to a constitutional change they were against it if it was put forward as an urgent Bill to be passed in parliament.
“We are against this because, when it is put forward as an urgent Bill, it is put before the Supreme Court which looks to see if it is inconsistent with the constitution, this does not give a chance for the general public to appeal against it,” said TUC General Secretary, Saman Rathnapriya.
He said they were not against the amendments but were against it if it was done with the purpose of the government holding on to power.
“The government is trying to increase the terms of the President and also allow the President to appoint the members of the Constitutional Council, these are not what the people asked for and this was not mentioned during the elections,” he stressed.
He also questioned as to why there were only the two main parties who were discussing the changes that needed to be done to the constitution.