Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday handed a constitutional modification aimed toward curbing the president’s powers, strengthening anti-corruption safeguards and serving to the nation out of its worst monetary disaster since independence.
Sri Lanka has struggled for months to search out sufficient {dollars} to pay for important imports corresponding to gas, meals, cooking fuel and drugs.
Many Sri Lankans blame former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for implementing a number of failed insurance policies, together with tax cuts, now reversed restrictions on chemical fertilizers and delays in receiving IMF assist, ensuing within the nation defaulting on its overseas debt for the primary time in historical past. .
As a response to widespread protests, Rajapaksa had backed constitutional reforms that would cut back the powers of the chief presidency and allocate them to parliament in June. He resigned the next month after protesters stormed his workplace and residence.
Justice Minister Wijedassa Rajapaksa advised parliament, “This amendment will not only help bring about changes to the system demanded by the Sri Lankan people, but will also help in securing the IMF program and other international aid to rebuild the economy.”
In September, Sri Lanka signed a preliminary settlement with the IMF for a $2.9 billion mortgage, pledging to reform guidelines to battle corruption.
However, opposition events and civil society representatives have discovered the modification not far-reaching sufficient to advertise accountability and curtail authorities powers.
“It’s just a tampering with the President’s powers and the amendment doesn’t implement a significant change,” mentioned Bhavani Fonseca, a senior researcher on the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based suppose tank.
“The president still has the power to prorogue parliament, hold ministries, and the Constitutional Council will still hold most government appointments.”
The modification was handed with the required two-thirds majority.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
