Sri Lanka's 22nd constitutional amendment gets clearance from SC

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled that the bill seeking the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution aimed at empowering Parliament over the executive president can be adopted with a two-thirds majority in the House but some clauses will require a nationwide referendum, the Speaker announced on Tuesday.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told Parliament that the Supreme Court has determined that certain clauses of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill are not consistent with the Constitution, and directed that those clauses required to be passed by a special majority and a public referendum.

The draft bill on the 22nd Amendment was approved by the Cabinet and gazetted last month. The 22nd Amendment was originally named 21A and meant to replace the 20A.

The amendment was formulated amid the ongoing economic turmoil in the country which also caused a political crisis. It is meant to replace the 20A that had given unfettered powers to ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment.