20th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution passed.
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
International News
- Published
24th Oct, 2020
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- The 20th Amendment envisages expansive powers and greater immunity for the Executive President.
- The Amendment rolls back Sri Lanka’s 19th Amendment,a 2015 legislation that sought to clip presidential powers, while strengthening Parliament.
- The new legislation in turn reduces the Prime Minister’s role to a ceremonial one.
- It mainly sought to weaken the power of the presidency which the 18th amendment had greatly expanded.
- The 18th amendment allowed four basic changes:
- The President can seek re-election any number of times;
- Independent commissions are brought under the authority of the President;
- It enables the President to attend Parliament once in three months and entitles him to all the privileges, immunities, and powers of a Member of Parliament other than the entitlement to vote.
