Professionals ride for Democratic Constitution 21A: Don’t stall it, pass it

Professionals of various fields unite to call upon the abolishment of the 20A and stress the need for the urgent enactment of the 21A 

“Enough is enough. What we need now is not just a change in the government but also a change in the system. What we need is a democratic country, for this we must abolish the 20A and pass the 21A : Shakib Hisham - Law student

Starting off from Parliament Road, professionals from various fields cycled towards Gotagogama on Sunday (29) morning. The cycle and walk protest led by Direction Sri Lanka- Independent Professionals for the Nation saw over 130 participants on bicycles and others who joined on foot as well. “This protest march was held with the intention to bring to the attention of the President, Parliament and the people of the urgent need to pass the 21st Amendment,” shared Rajeev Amarasuriya, attorney at law and one of the members of Direction Sri Lanka. 

He further went on to state that while the 21A needed certain amendments to be improved upon, it was better than the 20A. “From a governance point of view, it reduces the powers of the President. So, we are in agreement with that, but we have also said that it can be improved.”
Direction Sri Lanka had put forward a set of suggestions to the Justice Minister, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe to strengthen the 21A.

• Delete/appropriately amend Article 44(2) of the Constitution so that the President cannot hold any portfolio.

  Shakib Hisham

   

   

• Appointment of Secretaries to the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Ministries should be done on the advice of the Prime Minister. Direction Sri Lanka believes that this is important for the purpose of practicality. 
• Increase citizen participation in the Constitutional Council. 
• The Right to Information Commission, Office Bearers of the Port City Commission, the University Grants Commission, the Members of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to be brought under the purview of the Constitutional Council and for the Constitutional Council to approve the appointments of the members to the aforementioned commissions. 
• The President’s power to prorogue and dissolve the parliament, unless by the effluxion of its term as provided in the Constitution, should be only under the advice of the Prime Minister.
• President should only act on the advice of the Prime Minister in appointing Governors, and Heads of Missions Abroad
• Suitable provisions should be in place to prevent unethical crossovers of the Members of the Parliament. 

“We suggest these improvements but at the end of the day, the 21A must be passed. Every one of us must support this. No one should use any excuse to not pass it. The representatives of the people have a responsibility. If they’re not going to do this and pull on political lines, then they cannot be expected to be elected again. People won’t let them come back again. Usually we see that politicians will say this and that and then stall it. We don’t want that to happen, we want them to first pass the 21st Amendment,” remarked Amarasuriya. 

Shakib Hisham, a law student who joined the cycle protest also called upon the parliament to enact the 21A. “Enough is enough. What we need now is not just a change in the government but also a change in the system. What we need is a democratic country, for this we must abolish the 20A and pass the 21A. Politicians should be held accountable for what they have done and the people of Sri Lanka should be given back what they have lost.”