Home

News

Politics

Issues

Focus

Editorial

Spotlight

Insight

Sports

Business

Review

Arts

Letters

Nutshell

Interviews

Fashion

Archives

•  Unconstitutional and unworkable says PM 

CBK offers to share defence 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week rejected as unconstitutional a final proposal by President Chandrika Kumaratunga who offered to share the defence portfolio in a bid to break the political deadlock which has stalled the peace process.

The President's proposal to share the defence portfolio with the Prime Minister was made through the officials committee which met for the final time last week.

The President had earlier offered to return the Mass Communications and Interior Ministries while retaining the defence portfolio subject to control over north - east security forces command being gazetted under a newly formed National Security Ministry or the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister rejected that proposal as being impractical due to the confusion which would entail over the command structure, but proposed the listing of the defence subjects under the National Security Ministry whilst the President remained defence minister.

The Prime Minister had stated, he was otherwise not in a position to take responsibility for the peace process.

President Kumaratunga in rejecting the Prime Minister's proposal however made a counter offer last week to gazette the three services, army, airforce and navy under both the President in her capacity as defence minister as well as the Prime Minister.

This, Presidential Advisor Mano Tittawela said was Kumaratunga's final offer.

UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema and Secretary to the Prime Minister, Bradman Weerakoon who communicated the offer to the Prime Minister received a negative response which was later communicated to the President.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said under Article 52 (2) of the Constitution, listing the same subject under different ministries was not only unconstitutional but also not workable.

Article 52 (2) of the Constitution states; "The Secretary to the ministry shall, subject to the direction and control of his minister, exercise supervision over the departments of government or other institutions in charge of his minister."

The Prime Minister had questioned how one secretary could carry out commands of two different ministers over the same subject, especially if they are at variance.

It is learnt that with the Prime Minister's nominees having informed the President of Wickremesinghe's rejection of the proposal no further meetings are planned of the Malik-Mano committee.

Headlines