Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced today that the 21st Amendment will be passed and will strengthen parliament however the leader of Sri Lanka’s opposition, Sajith Premadasa, denounced the move.
In a statement, he alleged a conspiracy to dilute the 21st amendment, supported by a private member's motion by General Secretary of SJB Ranjith Maddumabandara. Premadasa also slammed the Government’s proposals insisting on the need to abolition the executive Presidency and that the President could continue to hold an unlimited number of ministerial posts.
Tamil National Alliance MP, MA Sumanthiran, has similarly demanded parliament be dissolved and fresh elections be held.
Faced with criticism Wickremesinghe insisted that the government would work to abolition the executive Presidency and that the 21st amendment would rebalance power towards Parliament. He further called for a national council. This Council would consist of the Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the leaders of the major political parties.
Read Wickremesinghe’s statements here.