Minister Champika Ranawaka has told BBC Sandeshaya that removal of the president’s powers without seeking public opinion would amount to a ‘constitutional conspiracy.’

He explained that the right to be head of state, or other powers of the president, who is elected by the people, should be removed only after consulting the people, who are the supreme.

Ranawaka stressed that they would never allow passage of the amendment, which is not a collective effect.

The only thing that should be done is to remove the authoritarian powers of the president and democratise the position, he said, adding the JHU has identified eight such powers.

They are the president’s powers to appoint any number of ministers, to appoint anyone as a minister, to appoint judges and ministry secretaries, to dissolve parliament and not to be accountable to parliament and not to be taken to courts, he said.

He also said the JHU wants the president to retain the powers to be the commander in chief of the armed forces, to be responsible for national security, and to have executive powers of the provincial councils.

There should be a balance among the executive, legislature and the judiciary, for which the JHU has made a practical proposal without daydreaming, he added.