Pivithuru Hetak National Council Chairman Athuraliye Rathana Thera vowed to prevent the dissolution of parliament before the 20th Amendment is approved.

Speaking at a conference held by the organization yesterday, he said that there were various attempts to stop the passage of the amendment, which plans to introduce electoral reforms. The UNP seems reluctant to let it pass through the parliament, he said.

Meanwhile, Rathana Thera pointed out that another group of MPs are speaking about filing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instead of focusing the most important issue at hand. These attempts could have been launched with the ulterior motive of jeopardizing the passage of 20th Amendment, Rathana Thera argued.

However, participating at a Television program last night, Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P. Perera noted that certain elements do not want the UNP to earn the credit for getting the 20th Amendment approved. Some of these individuals make unrealistic demands, simply to stall the process, he added.

Meanwhile, Perera also said that in his opinion, the 20th Amendment needs to be studied thoroughly before approval.