{"id":189126,"date":"2018-03-26T20:55:07","date_gmt":"2018-03-26T15:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=189126"},"modified":"2018-03-29T07:25:58","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T01:55:58","slug":"is-the-19th-amendment-unconstitutional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/is-the-19th-amendment-unconstitutional\/","title":{"rendered":"Is The 19th Amendment Unconstitutional?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0<\/span>Amrit Muttukumaru<\/a> –<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amrit Muttukumaru<\/p><\/div>\n

This brief note will focus exclusively on the constitutional propriety of the 19th<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Amendment to the 1978 Constitution. It will not dwell on its pros and cons.<\/span><\/p>\n

The people of Sri Lanka went to the polls on 8 January 2015 on the explicit understanding (i) they were going to elect a powerful \u2018Executive President\u2019 under the 1978 Constitution<\/a> (ii) the \u2018Executive Presidency\u2019 was to be subsequently abolished (iii) its abolition and the concomitant new dispensation was to be presented to the \u2018People\u2019 for their approval. <\/span><\/p>\n

Its mere weakening was never on the radar. <\/span><\/p>\n

HE Maithripala Sirisena who was elected on this basis had no mandate to allow the weakening of the \u2018Executive Presidency\u2019 through the 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment without the prior approval of the people at a referendum. <\/span><\/p>\n

Its approval at a\u00a0referendum<\/span> is compulsory since as per <\/span>Article 3 (untouched by 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment) which is \u2018entrenched’ in the Constitution:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable. Sovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. \u201c<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The key takeaways are<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Article 3 is \u2018entrenched\u2019 in the Constitution<\/span><\/p>\n

2) \u201csovereignty is in the People and is inalienable\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

3) \u201cSovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise. \u201c<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Another facet to the premise that a referendum is needed is:<\/span><\/p>\n

Article 4 (b) (Post 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment):<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cthe executive power of the People, including the defence of Sri Lanka, shall be exercised by the President of the Republic elected by the People ;\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The 19<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> Amendment has undeniably weakened \u201cthe executive power of the People\u201d <\/i>which \u201cshall be exercised by the President of the Republic elected by the People;\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The key words are: \u201cPresident of the Republic elected by the People\u201d<\/i>. This must be viewed in the context of:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cthe franchise\u201d <\/i>of the \u201cPeople\u201d <\/i>being \u201cinalienable\u201d <\/i>( Article 3 \u2018Entrenched\u2019 in the Constitution)<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, <\/span>with all due respect to the constitutional expert Dr. Nihal Jayawickrama<\/a> it is difficult to subscribe to his assertion in his learned article <\/span>\u2018The Illusory Executive Presidency<\/a>\u2019 <\/i><\/span>in the \u2018Colombo Telegraph\u2019 of 19 March that the 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment has diluted the powers of the Executive President under the 1978 constitution to such an extent that the holder is now virtually reduced to what existed under the 1972 Constitution where the President was largely a \u2018Ceremonial\u2019 Head of State. <\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It is the view of this writer who has no pretence for any expertise in constitutional affairs that the 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment is inimical to the sovereignty and franchise of the people which is inalienable and hence compulsorily DEMANDS the approval of the people at a referendum. This is in addition to not less than two-thirds of the total membership of Parliament approving the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the circumstances, is not the 19th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Amendment unconstitutional? The learned views of constitutional experts such as <\/span>Drs. Nihal Jayawickrama, Lakshman Marasinghe and others will be appreciated.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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