Sri Lankan Cabinet acts to rein in powers of president
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COLOMBO • Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved constitutional reforms aimed at limiting the powers of the presidency.
It follows months of protests demanding the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and accusing him of dragging the nation's economy into an unprecedented crisis.
The endorsement is a step in what could be a protracted process to amend the sections of the Constitution that gave sweeping powers to Mr Rajapaksa's office.
The amendment will be sent to the legal draftsman and the attorney-general for observations about its compatibility with the Constitution, Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena told reporters in Colombo yesterday.
Sri Lanka fell into default for the first time in its history last month as the government struggled to halt an economic meltdown that prompted mass protests and a political crisis. While side-stepping calls for him to quit, Mr Rajapaksa has tried to contain anger towards him and his family by agreeing to the constitutional amendments.
The Sri Lanka Bar Association has questioned the extent to which the amendments will scale back the powers Mr Rajapaksa gave to his office shortly after he returned to power in 2019.
The latest amendment approved by the Cabinet on Monday, following discussions among lawmakers, will also need the votes of two-thirds of the members of Parliament to become law.
Mr Gunawardena gave no details yesterday except to say the constitutional amendment will give more powers to Parliament.
"The latest amendments will improve good governance, which is part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), other lender requirements and the international view," Mr Gunawardena said. "It will help with the IMF negotiations."
Sri Lankan authorities on Monday began talks with the IMF, working towards an agreement that could offer creditors enough comfort to lend new funds to the bankrupt nation. It is seeking US$6 billion (S$8.31 billion) in the coming months.
Sri Lanka's opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said his party would boycott Parliament this week and hold street protests against the government.
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