Rasika Somarathna
Media Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera yesterday said former Minister and UNP member Lakshman Kiriella seems to be living in the pre-1972 era and has forgotten history.
Minister Jayasekera was expressing his views on the recent comments made by Kiriella that Sri Lankan Parliament was bound to follow the tradition of House of Commons of the UK when the Sri Lankan Constitution is unclear about certain situations.
Minister Jayasekera noted that in 1972, the new Republican Constitution, declared Sri Lanka a Republic and the monarchy abolished.
In 1978, the Second Amendment to the Constitution moved from a Westminster system into a Presidential system with the President serving as both Head of State and head of government.
Minister Jayasekera speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing at the Government Information Department said Kiriella seems to have forgotten history and that the country has been governed by an Executive President since 1978.
In lighter vein, the minister said Kiriella was a politician who likes to live in the past rather than the present.
Local media reported Kiriella as saying that the House was bound to follow Section 7 of Parliament Powers and Privileges Act where it said the House was bound to follow the tradition of the House of Commons when the local constitution was unclear on certain situations. He was referring to the appointment of a new Prime Minister by the President.
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