Thursday Sep 03, 2026
Thursday Sep 03, 2026
Thursday, 3 September 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the Government of destroying democracy and the rule of law through the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, while calling for broader constitutional reform to make economic and social rights legally enforceable.
Speaking at a diploma awarding ceremony at the Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake Academy of Political Science, Premadasa said the amendment threatened checks and balances among the executive, legislature and judiciary and risked weakening the administration of justice.
He also criticised both the present and previous Governments over their economic policies, arguing that domestic debt restructuring had affected provident funds while leaving wealthy interests largely untouched. He claimed farmers were losing Rs. 17 on every kilogram of paddy.
Premadasa said Sri Lanka needed a social market economy that combined wealth creation through capitalism with redistribution and social protection, arguing that neither extreme socialism nor unfettered capitalism could deliver inclusive growth.
Referring to Sri Lanka’s post-independence development record, he said the country had made gains in areas including life expectancy and maternal and child mortality, but had subsequently fallen behind economies such as Singapore.
He said Sri Lanka should pursue a middle path combining market-oriented and social policies, citing programs such as Mahaweli and Gam Udawa as examples of State intervention alongside economic liberalisation.
Premadasa also called for reform of the Constitution’s fundamental rights framework, noting that civil and political rights under Chapter III are enforceable through courts, while several economic and social rights contained in Chapter VI are not.
He said constitutional reform should therefore extend enforceable fundamental rights to economic, social, cultural, educational and health rights alongside existing civil and political protections.
