22A is token reform to appease some, says CPA

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) states that the 22nd Amendment bill, which was gazetted, has several serious problems, and is at best an exercise in window-dressing to show the government is initiating token reforms to appease some with no significant positive impact for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans.

In a statement, the CPA states that whilst the Bill addresses some of the problems with the previous version of the Bill, it does not curtail the powers of the President nor introduce checks and balances in any meaningful manner, contrary to the demands of the people of Sri Lanka.

While pointing out that the bill had drawn from the weakest asepects of the 19th and the 20th Amendments of Sri Lanka, the CPA states that if enacted, the bill would not address the concerns of citizens, for a more accountable and transparent government and in the long run could further undermine democratic institutions and the citizens’ faith in these institutions.

Underlining that the serious problems of the 22nd Amendment bill includes issues with the composition of the proposed Constitutional Council, while CPA is of the view that it does not ensure a majority representation in the Council for non-politicians, and does not remove government dominance over the political members.

Moreover, the CPA emphasizes that the bill represents a failure to understand the underlying public frustration in the system of governance, which culminated in mass scale protests across Sri Lanka. 

"These proposals seem to be aimed at satisfying the political ambitions of a few politicians and political parties, rather than genuinely trying to address the crisis in governance that has plagued Sri Lanka," the statement added.