Draft Bill on constitutional reforms to be gazetted

15 March 2015 02:23 pm

The Cabinet today decided to gazette the draft bill providing for constitutional reforms, political sources said.  

The decision was taken after a meeting chaired by President Maitripala Sirisena. It is learnt the draft bill includes clauses for the re-instatement of the 17th Amendment and the transfer of executive powers to Parliament and the Cabinet.

According to the 100-day programme of the Government, the constitutional amendments have to be enacted by March 23.  

However, there has been no agreement on the electoral reforms and some other matters and as such the Cabinet has decided to have separate meetings with other party leaders on these matters before incorporating them later as separate pieces of legislations.

The political parties had extensive discussions on the proposed constitutional reforms and the proposed bill, if enacted, will remove the presidential powers to dissolve Parliament after one year, to appoint Ministry Secretaries while continuing to function as the Minister of Defence.(Kelum Bandara)