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21st Amendment: Three key issues yet to be resolved
Three key issues related to presidential powers are yet to be resolved before the final draft of the 21st Amendment is to be submitted to the cabinet for approval, a senior government official said.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe met last night to sort out the outstanding issues. A separate meeting between the Prime Minister, Justice Minister and the Attorney General has been scheduled for today.
The key outstanding issues are whether the President should retain the defence portfolio, the powers of the President to remove the prime minister and the prime minister’s powers on the appointment of Cabinet Ministers, the official said.
The outstanding issues were directly linked to moves to increase the Prime Minister’s and Parliament’s powers, the official said.
He said the diplomatic community and donor agencies were keen on the Government’s stability before going ahead with providing further financial and other assistance.
The officials said that, bedsides the key issues, the proposal to restrict dual citizenship holders serving as Members of Parliament also has turned out to be a contentious issue, with some SLPP members opposing the move. “However, that is a matter for the President to discuss with SLPP members and resolve,” he said.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times that at Friday’s meeting with party leaders, there was consensus that the proposed amendments should not include clauses which may require a referendum.
He said the objective of the discussions scheduled for last night was to reach middle ground between the Presidential and Parliamentary powers.
Parliamentarian Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said there was an understanding that the Presidential powers to remove the Prime Minister should be transferred to Parliament.
He said positive proposals made by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya too should be included in the draft proposals.
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