Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has instructed the Justice Ministry secretary to withhold the publication of the gazette notification on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution until after the Presidential Election is conducted.
The Justice Minister has justified this decision by stating that it aims to remove uncertainty surrounding the timing of the Presidential election.
Constitutional experts have pointed out that if this amendment is passed in Parliament, it will potentially enable the President to propose calling a referendum.
Earlier this week, MPs and civil society groups expressed concerns that this amendment seems to be aimed at extending President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s term.
While the Supreme Court has rejected several recent attempts to delay the Presidential Elections, the Election Commission is expected to start the Presidential Election process soon, with elections anticipated for late September or early October.
Therefore, parties with interest had warned that the passage of the amendment could necessitate a simultaneous referendum. They described the proposed bill as an unnecessary complication and a potential manoeuvre to disrupt the electoral process.
