Sri Lankan Parliament Curtails President's Power

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa concentrated power in the executive in 2020 when his government amended the constitution, removing parliament’s role in key appointments like judges and police chiefs. As the country faces an unprecedented economic crisis, protesters pushed the government to restore parliamentary supremacy.

Sri Lanka’s parliament passed the 22nd constitutional amendment to reduce presidential power on Friday, a key demand of the protesters who brought down the Goatabaya Rajapaksa government in July over an unprecedented economic crisis.

The new bill incorporated aspects of the executive, legislature, and judiciary and aimed to provide an accountable government.

President Media Division said that the constitutional amendment bill was passed with an overwhelming majority following the two-day debate. 179 lawmakers, including the opposition, voted in favor of the bill, while one abstained.

"This amendment will not only help bring about the system change demanded by Sri Lankans it will also help in securing an IMF program and other international assistance to rebuild the economy," Wijedasa Rajapakshe, the country’s justice minister, told parliament.

With the new law into force, the president loses power over key appointments, including cabinet ministers, senior judges, attorney generals, Central Bank governors, police chiefs, election commissioners, and officials of anti-corruption institutions.

A constitutional council comprising lawmakers and non-political leaders will recommend candidates to the president for appointment. The president will not hold any other cabinet positions except defense.

Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who succeeded Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July, had promised protesters that he was going to curtail the powers of the presidency and strengthen parliament.

Protesters blamed the Rajapaksa family for the financial mismanagement, resulting in a foreign exchange crisis in the island nation of 22 million people. People have been facing food and fuel shortages for months due to foreign exchange shortages.

In October 2020, the Rajapaksa government passed the 20th constitutional amendment, which authorized the president to dissolve parliament and supervise institutions that oversee elections, police, human rights, and anti-corruption efforts.