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SJB to discuss 21A with party leaders

28 Apr 2022

The main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB), hopes to engage in productive discussions with other Party Leaders on bringing in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, the SJB said yesterday (28). “We understand that the Cabinet of Ministers has also approved the drafting of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill to be presented by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. We have not started discussions yet, but this is a need of the hour, as the public is expecting this Constitutional Amendment. Discussions will take place with all Party Leaders and we hope that they will be productive to bring in the said Amendment,” the SJB National Organiser MP Tissa Attanayake told The Morning yesterday. Earlier this week, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said that the Cabinet has approved two key proposals to prepare the 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill – the appointment of a subcommittee to assist the Legal Draftsman’s Department to draft the said Bill, and the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to discuss with the other Members who have also put forth private members Bills on the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, to reach a common agreement with them.  Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa noted that there are already two private member Bills for Constitutional Amendments which have been submitted to the Speaker of the House Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.  “The process taken by private member Bills, in this case by President’s Counsel and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP who has since turned independent Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, and the SJB, will be a lengthy process, as opposed to an amendment put forth by the Government,” he said. The SJB presented the proposed 21st Amendment to the Constitution Bill to the Parliament on 21 April, with the aim of “restoring checks and balances to the three pillars of democracy”.


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