Amendments: Debate And Vote On 8
The party leaders have decided to hold debate and vote on the Constitutional Amendment Bill on September 8.
Initially the amendment bill was to be debated for two days on September 8 and 9. The governing party leaders have said there was no need for a two-day debate and requested it to be completed in one day.
However, the opposition leader have requested for more time for the debate and therefore, the party leaders have decided to hold a full day debate on the Constitutional Amendment Bill from 9.30 a.m. till 7 p.m. on September 8 and to have the vote the same day.
The party leaders’ meeting was held with Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at the chair yesterday (2).
A five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Shiranee Bandaranayake has presented is ruling on the constitutionality of the bill to Speaker Rajapaksa.
As regards the amendment relating to the number of times the incumbent President could contest is perfectly alright subject to elections being conducted in a free and fair manner under the supervision of an Election Commission like in India, whcih has full powers. If elections are held in Sri Lanka in the fashion we have experienced in the past where the party in power misuses state resources and the national media as if they are their grandfather’s property, then there is no democracy. So, alongside this amendment measures should be taken to have a provision to put in place an Election Commission like in India with full powers.