• A cabinet sub-committee is to be appointed for guiding the Legal Draftsman as necessary for  the preparation of a fundamental draft bill with immediate effect

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

The Cabinet on Monday gave the green light to a proposal made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to enact the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said yesterday.  

Accordingly, the 21st amendment will be drafted based on the nineteenth and twentieth constitutional amendments, he added.   

Addressing the weekly post cabinet news briefing, Minister Dr. Godahewa said a number of parties representing the political, professional and various strata of the society had emphasised that it was appropriate to introduce suitable reforms to the Constitution in order to create political, economic and social stability for finding solutions to the economic crisis at present as a result of the prevailing situation in the country.   

“Considering the circumstances that led to this grave crisis, the cabinet arrived at the following decisions regarding the proposal submitted by the Prime Minister,” he said.   
Appointment of a cabinet sub-committee for guiding the Legal Draftsman as necessary for the preparation of a fundamental draft bill with immediate effect in order to introduce the twenty first constitutional reform that entrusts more powers to the Parliament by further strengthening the democracy based on the effective particulars appeared in both nineteenth and twentieth constitutional amendments.   

Entrusting the power to the Prime Minister to furnish a resolution to the Parliament proposing it to appoint a Parliamentary Selection Committee for the preparation of a draft bill with a unanimity by considering the draft bill so formulated as above and the constitutional reforms resolutions already been submitted in the Parliament.