20A draft bill can be enacted with 2/3 majority - AG | Daily News

20A draft bill can be enacted with 2/3 majority - AG

‘Referendum not needed’:
Cabinet endorses 20A:

Attorney General Dappula De Livera had yesterday informed the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice that there is no need to hold a Referendum on the draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and that it could be passed by a 2/3 majority in Parliament.

Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told the media that draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution does not require a referendum as none of the provisions under Article 83 of the Constitution was related to the 20th Amendment.

Accordingly, in terms of Article 82 (5) of the Constitution the draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution requires only a two-thirds majority of the Members of Parliament to become a new legislation, she said.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the proposed draft of the new 20th Amendment to the Constitution at their meeting presided by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday, Government sources said. It was due to be gazetted last night. Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, had outlined the salient features of the new Amendment to the Constitution to the Cabinet, along with Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, a former law professor and authority on the Constitution.

Earlier, the Ministry of Justice directed the draft of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution to the Attorney General on September 1. The 20A is likely to retain several features from the 19A, including RTI, the two-term limit for the presidency and independent commissions.

However, some other features such as the four and a half year mandatory Parliamentary term are likely to be axed.

The 20A will be the first step on the way to a completely new home-grown Constitution, which will take some more time.