RTI, two-term limit on presidency to remain, reiterates Keheliya
COLOMBO – The Right to Information (RTI) act and the two-term limit imposed on the office of the president will be retained in the new constitution, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told a gathering in Harispaththuwa, Kandy, in the Central Province on Monday (24). He said the RTI act will be incorporated into the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which will effectively repeal the 19th Amendment introduced by the previous government
The minister, who is also co-cabinet spokesman of the new government, was reiterating remarks made at a hurriedly organized press conference held last week.
Speaking in Harispaththuwa, he said, the 19th Amendment was a barrier to the country’s development.
The Amendment, which curtailed powers of the executive president and introduced independent police, human rights and election commissions, was supported by the then Joint Opposition led by current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The commissions were an attempt to democratize Sri Lanka’s system of governance.
The 19th Amendment also re-established term limits to the presidency and banned foreign passport holders or dual citizens from contesting elections or entering Parliament on the National List. Though the constitutional amendment did not address a crisis involving ministry secretaries, the constitutional council and independent commissions improved appointments of judges, the police chief and some high officials, restoring partial independence to the public service.
Speaking in Harispaththuwa, Rambukwella recalled that the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution, which created the Provincial Councils, was formulated within a week and will therefore be subject to discussion in the current Parliament in the coming days.
He also said the independent commissions established by the previous government failed to be independent and have violated basic principles. Therefore, he said the government will make changes to the commissions in order to protect their independence in the constitutional reforms.
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