The Cabinet of Ministers decided to appoint a nine member Expert Committee to prepare the preliminary drafts for a new Constitution, Co-cabinet Spokesperson, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said.
He was speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held at the Government Information Department yesterday.
Accordingly President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva has been appointed to head the committee.
President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana, President’s Counsel Manohara De Silva, President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena, Prof. Nazeema Kamardeen, Dr. A. Sarveswaran, President’s Counsel Samantha Ratwatte, Prof.Wasantha Senevirathne and Prof.G.H.Peiris are the other members of the committee.
As a short-term measure to address the anomalies and shortcomings caused by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 2015, the Cabinet of Ministers decided on August 19 to advice the Legal Draftsman to draft the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
The Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman was presented to the Cabinet by the Justice Minister.
The Cabinet of Ministers paid its attention to the opinion of the Attorney General that the Bill was not incompatible with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and that it could be passed by a vote of not less than 213 in Parliament in terms of Article 82 (5) of the Constitution.
Accordingly, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted to publish the Bill in the Government Gazette and then to tabled in Parliament for approval.
Committee head Romesh de Silva, PC.
