Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance government suffered a jolt with one of its lawmakers resigning in protest against the Constitution Bill. Jayasena Rajalkaruna of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party, quit after expressing reservations over the new bill and its provisions to devolve powers to Tamil-dominated northeastern province. Rajalkaruna is the first ruling party MP to resign following policy differences with the government which has been banking on mass defections from the opposition United National Party to get two-thirds majority in parliament for the passage of the bill. But party leaders insist that the MP’s resignation is not a set back to the government as under the rules, the ruling Alliance can nominate another member in his place. Jayasena's resignation has come at a time when the government has stepped up efforts to mobilise the necessary 150 votes in parliament to gain mandatory two thirds majority for the Constitution Bill, which proposes to replace the presidential system with parliament democracy and devolve powers to Tamil-dominated provinces and end the decade old ethnic conflict. The bill has been opposed by Buddhist monks, UNP and several other smaller political parties.
Report : Zeenext Bureau