Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva, flanked by SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and President Maithripala Sirisena, sleeping during an SLFP rally on 20A on Monday (Pic by Saman Abeysiriwardena/The Island)

Sri Lanka’s cabinet agreed to draft legislation to implement electoral reforms as the 20th amendment to the country’s constitution by Friday, at a special meeting last night.

The number of MPs will remain at 225, despite attempts by some parties to increase the number to 255. It was proposed to elect 125 MPs from the constituencies, 75 according to the Proportional Representation System by district, and the remaining 25 from the National List, under the new system, the Daily Mirror reported.

On Monday President Maithripala Sirisena called on all parties to declare their positions on the reforms, saying the passing of the amendment was “the need of the hour”.

"If the current electoral system remains for another few years in in this country, only those mudalalis who can spend millions on their election propaganda would enter parliament, and there would be no place in politics for educated, decent people who have a genuine desire to serve the people," he said at an SLFP rally in Viharamahadevi Park.

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala De Silva, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha, Communist Party leader D. E. W. Gunasekara, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and SLFP media coordinator Thilanga Sumathipala also spoke at the rally.