The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has requested the President and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to leave aside the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, and to instead strengthen the country's economy and democracy.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday (14), SLPP General Secretary and Government Parliamentarian, attorney Sagara Kariyawasam said that the need to fully implement the 13th Amendment is not something that was suddenly requested by the Party, but something that the President himself highlighted. "This is not the need of the hour. What the people expect of the President is to strengthen the country's economy and democracy, and not to implement the 13th Amendment. Therefore, we request Wickremesinghe to leave aside this topic, and directly intervene to resolve the economic issue."

He also said that the country is not in a position to discuss a topic such as the 13th Amendment at present. "Our economy collapsed due to several factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the so called ‘aragalaya’ (people's struggle to overthrow former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government in 2022). The country is yet to come out of economic bankruptcy. At such a time, it is not something that is sensible to implement the 13th Amendment. That is because certain parties may try to misuse the instability for their advantage."

Wickremesinghe, who came to power following the resignation of Rajapaksa in July, 2022, pledged that he would fully implement the 13th Amendment, and work to resolve other issues faced by the people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He has since had several discussions with several parties including MPs on the matter. The SLPP, which supports Wickremesinghe's Presidency, is however of the view that he does not have a moral right to do so, as he (Wickremesinghe) is enjoying power based on the mandate given by the people to Rajapaksa,

On 29 July 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was signed between the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene which stated the devolution of powers to the Provinces. On 14 November 1987, the Parliament passed the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Councils (PCs) Act, No. 42 of 1987 to establish PCs. Wickremesinghe on 18 July assured a group of Tamil MPs that the 13th Amendment would be fully implemented, without Police powers, in the PCs.