22A Bill to be taken up for debate tomorrow
The 22nd Amendment Bill to the Constitution was approved for its Second Reading yesterday (04) at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms chaired by its Chair and the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms – Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
Briefing those present in terms of the changes intended by the Amendment, the minister stated that Amendments have been made under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution going beyond what was included in the Nineteenth Amendment to ensure democracy.
Accordingly, a salient feature is that under Article 41C the President shall appoint the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council. This was not incorporated in the 19th Amendment, the minister stated.
Furthermore, under the 19th Amendment, the power for an Executive President to hold Defence, Mahaweli and Environment portfolios has been limited to Defence under the Twenty Second Amendment.
The 22nd Constitution Amendment Bill set to be taken into debate tomorrow, the 6th from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. and the 7th from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm.