SJB files petition against 20A before SC

Thursday, 24 September 2020 04:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Asiri Fernando

SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday filed a petition against the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution at the Supreme Court.

The petition was filed by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara last morning. The move comes after the SJB appointed an 11-member committee to take action against the proposed 20th Amendment earlier in the week.

The SJB has raised concerns about a number of changes stated in the proposed Amendment in the petition filed before the Supreme Court, Bandara told Daily FT.

Among them are: erosion of the Auditor General’s powers, the delisting of the President’s and Prime Minister’s Offices and a number of public institutions from the scope of the Auditor, the President being able to dissolve Parliament after one year, the President being able to appoint Cabinet without the consent of the Prime Minister, erosion of Parliament’s control over public funds and accountability, the removal of restrictions on how many Ministers can be appointed, and others.

The SJB last week said that they will consult other Opposition parties on defeating the proposed 20th Amendment, with the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stating that the SJB will introduced a yet-unknown ‘20 Plus’ Amendment, which will bring constitutional change, but retain many salient features of the 19th Amendment.

SJB members protested in Parliament on Tuesday 22 September when the proposed amendment was tabled in the house. SJB members, led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, displayed placards condemning the 20th Amendment, calling on the Government to withdraw it.