Opposition Parliamentarian Prof. G.L. Peiris has voiced concerns over what he describes as the unprecedented centralisation of power under incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

During a media briefing yesterday (3), he claimed that President Wickremesinghe has assumed powers that no previous President, even those with large direct mandates from the people, had ever taken. “There were seven Presidents before the current President. One of them received 6.9 million votes, and another had an impressive mandate with over 62% of the vote, but, powers that none of them enjoyed, have been acquired by the current President.”

Highlighting the lack of Provincial Councils (PC) Elections for five years, Prof. Peiris noted that the PCs are devoid of public representation and are currently controlled by the President through Provincial Governors. “Similarly, the elections for 142 Local Government (LG) bodies, scheduled for March of last year (2023), did not take place despite Court orders directing the issuance of funds to hold it. They are also now controlled by the President through Governors.”

Criticising the President’s alleged unusual accumulation of power, he remarked, “Not only the executive powers of the Central Government, but all PCs and LG bodies have been brought under him.” He also pointed to an alleged new phase of centralisation with the proposed Economic Transformation Bill. “The President is now trying to make a big leap. We see an attempt to transfer the powers of key economic institutions that are now scattered among ministries, departments, and corporations into the hands of the President through this Bill.”