PM presents five reports on constitutional reforms

November 22, 2024

Development - Provincial

PM presents five reports on constitutional reforms

January 11, 2019

The poor attendance at the Constitutional Assembly meeting was noted today with only 56 MPs were present when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented five reports pertaining to constitutional reforms.The Constitutional Assembly (CA) met at 10am at the Parliament chamber after a hiatus of over a year. The meeting was convened to table five reports pertaining to the constitution making following the deliberation at the Steering Committee headed by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.

Only 28 Government MPs, 17 UPFA MPs, 9 TNA MPs and 2 JVP MPs were present at the commencement of the meeting. The number of Government members increased to about 47 during the course of the debate. The CA comprises of 220 MPs. The five parliamentarians of the National Freedom Front, led by Wimal Weerawansa decided to leave the CA in 2017.

With nearly two thirds of the MPs not present, many benches were seen empty throughout the CA debate yesterday. The CA was formed following a resolution passed unanimously in Parliament in March, 2016 to formulate a new Constitution. Initially, all 225 MPs were members in it and its first sitting was held on April 5, 2016. During its first sitting a 21-member Steering Committee was appointed to deal with the core issues relating to the Constitution.

In the meantime, six sub-committees were appointed by the CA on “fundamental rights, Judiciary, finance, public service, law and order, centre-periphery” and their reports were placed before the CA by the Prime Minister on November 19, 2016.The Steering Committee presented an interim report on September 21, 2017. The CA held an extensive debate for five days on the interim report and sub-committee reports. The CA last met on November 8, 2017.