On Friday, Sri Lankan parliament passed the 22nd amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution aimed at curbing the powers of the executive presidency.
The 22nd amendment passed with a two-thirds majority gaining 174 votes during its third reading. Responding to the passage of the bill, Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe applauded the amendment stating:
"This amendment will not only help bring about the system change demanded by Sri Lankans it will also help in securing an IMF programme and other international assistance to rebuild the economy,"
Despite this, opposition MPs and human rights organisations have railed against the bill maintaining that it does not go far enough. Speaking to parliament, Tamil National Alliance MP, M.A Sumanthiran noted the continued failure to abolish the executive presidency, despite prior promises, as well as the retention of several key powers.
"The president still retains the power to prorogue parliament, to hold ministries and the constitutional council will still have mostly government appointees" notes Bhavani Fonseka, a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank.
‘You are taking us for jokers!’ – MA Sumanthiran slams 22nd Amendment
'You are telling the people that you are going forward you are democratizing but in fact, you are strengthening a dictator' @MASumanthiran https://t.co/U7ZJtqj65d pic.twitter.com/4zaBOA3I3i— Tamil Guardian (@TamilGuardian) October 25, 2022
In his address, MA Sumanthiran slammed Sri Lanka’s parliament for the token reform maintaining that people demanded: “a system change, not tinkering with the constitution”. Sumanthiran also took aim at Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court. Noting earlier precedent, Sumanthiran highlights how the Supreme Court permitted various amendments to the 19th amendment, which expanded the powers of the executive presidency, but has demanded a referendum for identical reforms concerning the 22nd amendment.
“If they can’t read and understand their own determination in the 19th amendment with the very same words, within a few years, they say now this requires a referendum. How can that be? they are supposed to be learned”.
Sumanthiran maintained that whilst the 22nd amendment itself is innocuous, harm is being done by the presentation of the bill as transformative legislation. He maintained that people’s confidence has eroded over the years and now will be destroyed “when they find that the parliament has also misled us, led us to think that there is some major reforms when there is no reform, they will only take to the streets”.
He added that the 13th amendment, which promised devolution to the provincial councils, told a similar story.
“Same thing happened with the devolution, when the 13th amendment was enacted, we said it is not enough we did not accept it. But even what was enacted was never implemented in full, kept coming down, step down, step down…. then whatever that had been given to the provinces was also taken back”
“You are telling the people that you are going forward you are democratizing but in fact, you are strengthening a dictator”.
Read Sumanthiran's full statement here.
Read more here.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
