Sri Lanka moves bill to limit two terms for president

Rajapakse had done away with the provision after winning a second presidential term

Sri Lanka’s government yesterday unveiled a bill that will restore a twoterm limit for presidents and ensure the independence of the police and the judiciary, undoing moves by the country’s former strongman to consolidate power.

The presidential term limit was removed by Mahinda Rajapakse as he gave himself more control over the administration after winning a second term in 2010.

His successor Maithripala Sirisena came to power on a mandate of reducing the powers of the presidency.

The amendment, presented by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to parliament, seeks to establish independent commissions to run 11 public institutions and removes the president’s power to make appointments to them. Members will vote on it today. In a rare address to the assembly appealing to MPs to pass the amendment, Sirisena said they were “privileged” to support the bill.

“It is a meritorious act,” he said.

The bill, however, falls short of his election pledge to scrap the presidency and transfer most of the executive powers to parliament, reestablishing a Westminsterstyle democracy such as Sri Lanka had before 1978.

The Supreme Court earlier this month held that such transfer of power required approval at a national referendum, which the government says is too costly.

Sirisena announced last week he will dissolve parliament soon after putting the constitutional reforms to a vote, and call a snap election.

The president had originally pledged to dissolve parliament last week, but delayed to give the opposition more time to support the reforms.

Sirisena’s government does not enjoy a majority in the parliament he inherited from Rajapakse, who called his own re-election bid two years ahead of schedule.

Rajapakse’s United People’s Freedom Alliance has said they will support the proposed reforms only if their unspecified suggestions are also incorporated in the final bill before it is put to a vote today.

Government sources said the president will move ahead with a snap election within a matter of weeks if not days, regardless of whether the bill passes.