21st Amendment tabled before Sri Lankan Cabinet

Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday that the proposed 21st amendment to the Constitution, aimed at curbing the unfettered powers of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was presented before the Cabinet. The prime minister said the amendment will be distributed among party leaders for their observations, following which it will be sent back to the Cabinet for final approval.

“The 21A was presented to the cabinet, the amendment will be distributed among party leaders for their observations. Following this, the amendment will be sent back to the cabinet for final approval. Anyone can go to the Supreme Court against it,” Wickremesinghe said in a statement.

The 21st amendment is expected to annul the 20A which gave unlimited powers to President Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th amendment which had made Parliament powerful over the president.

The constitutional reform was a major plank of the agreement between Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe when he took over the job of the prime minister on May 12. Rajapaksa had also pledged reforms in the Constitution in an address to the nation earlier.

1500 people arrested

Sri Lankan police have arrested at least 1,500 people so far in connection with the violent clashes between antiand pro-government protesters in the country earlier this month that killed at least 10 people and injured over 200 others. On May 9, violence erupted in Sri Lanka after supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked anti-government protesters demanding his ouster. On Saturday, Inspector General of Police Chandana D Wickramaratne was interrogated by the CID over his alleged actions that triggered the violent clashes that killed at least 10 people.