Govt. slams UN Human Rights Committee’s request to repeal 18th Amendment
Wednesday, 5 November 2014 00:59
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The Government has vehemently rejected the request made by the United Nations Human Rights Committee to remove the 18th Amendment to the country’s Constitution.
The Government stressed that the UN Human Rights Committee has no right to ask for the removal of a constitutional amendment adopted by the country’s Parliament with a two-third majority.
The UN Human Rights Committee, while welcoming several measures taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure human rights of its citizens, asked the Government to repeal the 18th Amendment to the Constitution approved by the parliament in September 2010.
Presenting the concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Sri Lanka, the UN human rights treaty body, which reviewed Sri Lanka on 7 and 8 October, said the Committee is concerned by the 18th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution which, inter alia, discontinues the Constitutional Council and empowers the president to dismiss or appoint members of the judiciary and other independent bodies.
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which passed in Sri Lanka Parliament with a two-third majority in September 2010, allows any president of the country to contest for a third term.
The Government has claimed that the non-governmental organisations in the country are behind the request made by the UN Human Right Committee to repeal the amendment, national radio SLBC reported.
