Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has instructed the Secretary of the Justice Ministry to halt the gazetting of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution until after the Presidential Election is held.
This decision comes amidst allegations that the amendment is being used as a tactic to postpone the election.
Addressing the media earlier today, SLPP MP Gamini Waleboda revealed that Cabinet approval has been granted for the proposal, which is expected to be presented to Parliament in the coming week.
The amendment proposes changing paragraph (b) of Article 83 by replacing the words “exceeding six years” with “exceeding five years”.
Waleboda noted that the amendment would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament and would subsequently be presented to the Supreme Court for review. He highlighted the President’s challenges in securing this majority, especially as the SLPP plans to field its own candidate for the Presidential Election.
The MP also alleged that the President might use his executive powers to dissolve Parliament if the necessary majority is not obtained. According to Waleboda, a Gazette notification for dissolving Parliament has already been prepared and is ready to be issued if needed. (NewsWire)