Death penalty should be enforced for drugs, terrorism -SJB

Death penalty should be enforced for drugs, terrorism -SJB

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) maintains that those supporting terrorism and drug running should be given capital punishment, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday.

He also said that drafting laws to implement the death penalty is a grave need of the time.

He said the SJB stands for power sharing and not to concentrate power around one organ of the government. He made this observation joining in the second stage debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill which was debated for the second day.

The Opposition Leader said US President Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as the Government of the people, by the people, for the people which means it is a social contract between the public and the rulers.

Montesqieu argued the tripartite system should be practised to maintain checks and balances between the executive, legislature and judicial functions of government in order to prevent one organ of the government infringing on the other.

He added that Clauses of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution bill destroys the checks and balances that had been introduced earlier. “It will destroy the independence of Commissions when appointments to high offices is made by a single person who has the power to make them.The checks and balances will be eroded. Those who protested against the Executive Presidency have forgotten their own protests,” Premadasa said .

“Why do you fear the mechanism that was introduced under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to bring about a Just society?” Sajith Premadasa asked. “But this is a struggle for power between the President and the Prime Minister. But what is correct is to bring checks and balances between the two offices.”

He added that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is not for the betterment of the public. What we have got to do is to set up a National Security Council and a new Health Act.Death penalty should be brought to those who engage in terrorist activities and those who engage in drug trafficking and that is the stance of the SJB.

“I request you to listen to the public,” Opposition leader said. “I request you to listen to Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero and Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera who associated my late father and later President Ranasinghe Premadasa closely.”