Colombo: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's plan to introduce the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to empower Parliament over the executive president has met with resistance within the ruling SLPP coalition, party sources said on Wednesday.
Wickremesinghe on Sunday batted for the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, saying it will curb the president's unlimited powers while enhancing the role of Parliament in governing the debt-ridden country which is also facing an unprecedented political turmoil.
The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A to the Constitution, which gives unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment that will strengthen Parliament.
The proposal met with opposition from the loyalists of the Rajapaksa family, particularly from the supporters of Basil Rajapaksa, the former finance minister.
Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a dual American and Sri Lankan citizen and the 21A seeks to bar dual citizens from holding any top
public office.