Parliamentary debate on 20A fixed for Oct 21 & 22

The Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided to take the 20th Amendment  to the Constitution for debate on October  21 and 22, Parliament said. 

Accordingly, Parliament sittings will be held from 10.00am to 7.30pm on both October 21 and 22. 

Earlier, the Opposition parties requested for a five day debate on the proposed bill citing some of the clauses are very detrimental to the country’s sovereignty and the future of the nation.  The Speaker is to announce the determination of the 20th Amendment to the House officially. 

The Sunday Times reported last week on the determination by the Supreme Court on the 20 A indicating that the apex court ruled four 20A clauses require referendum and the rest can be passed by 2/3rd majority. 

The four clauses that four out of five judges held require a referendum as well as a two-thirds majority in Parliament are the 20th Amendment Bill’s restoration of Presidential immunity to the extent of preventing fundamental rights challenges by citizens, repealing the President’s duty to create the conditions for the holding of free and fair elections as requested by the Election Commission, the dissolution of Parliament within one year and removal of the constitutional duty on public officers to obey directives of the Election Commission with failure to do being an offence (Clause 22)