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Ranil says Executive Presidency useful during war and Aragalaya
29 May, 2024
President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the Executive Presidency was useful during the war and the ‘Aragalaya’ protests.
He said that the Executive Presidency has its positives and negatives.
“The presence of the executive powers was crucial in maintaining stability during the ?Aragalaya?. This was evident when there was no clear successor for the premiership. On a particular occasion, when the President departed for Trincomalee, some individuals urged me to resign from my position as Prime Minister.?However, I asserted that I could only resign if there was a parliamentary majority, and even then, the resignation letter would need to be submitted to the President,” the President said.
He said that Sri Lanka will ne holding the presidential election yet none of the candidates vying for the position have announced plans to abolish its executive authority.
“Currently, some executive powers have been delegated to the Provincial Council, while others have been assigned to various commissions. Furthermore, parliamentary oversight committees are operational. As more bills are introduced and debated in parliament, there will be a gradual shift of presidential powers to the Parliament, the legislative body,” the President added.
The President said that enacting laws that render the President accountable to Parliament is imperative.
He says the Government?s agenda for the next four years should be outlined through the newly introduced Economic Transformation Act.? (Colombo Gazette)
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