Constitutional Amendments formulated
by Manjula Fernando-Sunday, 8 February 2015
Two important Constitutional Amendments, as promised by the Government as the Common Opposition during its election campaign, are now in the initial stages of formulation. The 19th and 20th Amendments will carry important reforms to prune executive presidency and bring in electoral reforms, both of which are expected to be fulfilled before the next general election.
Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne
The Sunday Observer met one of the key brains behind the project, Constitutional Law expert Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne last week to discuss what to expect under the Amendments and what the new law meant for the people of Sri Lanka.
Excerpts of the interview,
Q: What is the need for a 19th Amendment to the Constitution ?
A: Democracy and Governance were the main issues at the last election. Of course there was the question of the cost of living. But governance issues arose out of the constitutional provisions that provide for authoritarian rule and that was what the Rajapaksa regime did.