Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who will complete his term by end of this year, has called for repealing a law that clips presidential powers, citing it as reason for “political uncertainty” in the country.
The 19 Amendment, which was passed in April 2015, is widely-considered a historic legislation, shifting power from the executive to the legislature, and strengthening the independence of oversight bodies.
Election pledge
Mr. Sirisena — backed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and political parties representing Tamil and Muslim minorities — rose to presidency in January 2015, promising good governance and the abolition of executive presidency.
Speaking at an event on Sunday, he observed that while the “monarchical and dictatorial nature” of the 18th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution was the reason for the 19th Amendment, the 19 A had made it “impossible” for the country to move forward under a single political leadership.
The 18 Amendment, passed during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time in office, lifted the two-term limit on presidency, and removed important checks on the exercise of executive power.
Two term cap
The 19 Amendment caps presidency at two terms, and disallows dissolution of Parliament by the President before four-and-a-half years of its term.
When President Sirisena prematurely sacked Parliament late last year, sparking an unprecedented political crisis that spanned seven weeks, the Supreme Court ruled that his dissolution was illegal.
“People accuse us of running an unstable government. They say that me and the Prime Minister are pulling in different directions... the reason is the 19A,” President Sirisena said in his speech on Sunday.
The fissures within the government came to light in the wake of the deadly Easter terror attacks too, when both leaders said that while prior intelligence had been available with security officials, they were not aware of the warning.
With Presidential polls due by end of the year, it remains unclear if President Sirisena will run for office again. No other party has finalised its candidate for the race.