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Conflict left in Sri Lanka constitution to avoid referendum

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ECONOMYNEXTThe 19th Amendment created a conflict in Sri Lanka’s constitution, but it remained unresolved because the then government was determined to avoid a referendum.

The deficiency in the constitution was highlighted in a report by EconomyNext on Tuesday and later taken up during a government meeting at the highest levels, sources familiar with the issue said.

The constitutional error, which has persisted since April 2015, could allow an incumbent president to extend his term by less than a year without facing a referendum.

Former legislator and President’s Counsel Jayampathy Wickramaratne said the brief from the then government was to come up with a bill for a 19th Amendment which could be passed without a referendum.

“As a member of the team that drafted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, I wish to make a clarification,” Wickramaratne said, adding that they were aware of the issue.

“The government had clearly advised the drafting team that the Nineteenth Amendment Bill should be passed only by a two-thirds majority, in keeping with the pledge of presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena… that no amendment necessitating a referendum would be placed before Parliament.

“As such, the draft did not propose reducing the maximum period from six to five years,” he said, referring to an Article which should have been amended to read “five years” instead of the original “six years.”

Article 83, which was an entrenched provision, could not have been amended without a referendum, and therefore they left Article 83(b) untouched.It leaves an ambiguity at best and a loophole at worst.

Even changing a full stop or a comma in the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in parliament and in some cases requires endorsement at a national referendum.Political sources said there had been polemic invective directed at those behind the 19th Amendment when the government discussed the issue on Tuesday.

While all references to the six-year terms of both the president and parliament were changed to five years in line with the 19th Amendment, Article 83(b) was left untouched, giving President Ranil Wickremesinghe a loophole to extend his term.

Any bill to extend the five-year term of the president or parliament requires approval in parliament with a two-thirds majority, followed by endorsement at a referendum.

However, under Article 83(b), such a referendum is required only if the bill extends the term to over six (6) years, not five (5) years as it should have been.

This means that, in theory, President Wickremesinghe could extend his own term and that of parliament by 11 months and 29 days without breaching the constitution.

See the full report on this here: https://economynext.com/constitutional-error-could-give-ranil-and-parliament-another-year-167442/



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Presidential secretariat launches initiative to install sanitation facilities at fuel stations under “Clean Sri Lanka”

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In a landmark move to promote public hygiene and accessibility, the Government on Wednesday (14) launched a national-level initiative to install modern sanitation facilities at fuel stations across the country under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.

The official launch was held at the Presidential Secretariat, with the participation of top government officials and key industry stakeholders.

The initiative aims to transform fuel stations into clean, safe and inclusive spaces by providing essential sanitation infrastructure accessible to all segments of the public, particularly women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

An MoU was signed between the Presidential Task Force on Clean Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Energy and the island’s four major fuel providers: Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Lanka IOC PLC (LIOC), Sinopec Energy Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and RM Parks (Pvt) Ltd.

Under the three-year programme, 540 modern public sanitation facilities will be established at selected fuel stations islandwide. The timeline for rollout is as follows:

Company 2025 2026 2027
CPC 25 50 50
LIOC 25 50 40
Sinopec 25 50 75
RM Parks 25 50 75
Total 100 200 240

By the end of 2025, at least 100 of these facilities are expected to be operational, providing clean and user-friendly amenities to travellers across the country.

Speaking at the event, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake stated, “This is not just a policy commitment but a promise to build a healthier, cleaner and more dignified Sri Lanka. The Clean Sri Lanka initiative seeks to deliver long-term public services that meet modern hygiene standards.” He also highlighted that this partnership between the public and private sectors sets an example for delivering effective and sustainable services. Plans are in place to encourage further participation from large-scale private sector entities, such as retail chains, to extend the reach and impact of the programme.

The event was attended by Secretary to the Ministry of Energy, Prof. Udayanga Hemapala; Senior Additional Secretary to the President,  Russell Aponsu; senior executives from the four fuel providers; and officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Presidential Task Force.

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Financial assistance from the President’s Fund for next of kin of victims of the Kotmale bus accident disbursed through Divisional Secretariats

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On the instructions of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, the funds allocated from the President’s Fund for those who lost their lives in the recent bus accident in the Garandiella area, Kotmale have now been forwarded to the relevant Divisional Secretariats.

Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 1 million will be provided to the next of kin of each individual whose life was lost in the accident, and the funds will be handed over to their respective family members.

These funds have been released to the Divisional Secretariats of the following areas—Tissamaharama, Lunugamvehera, Welimada, Haldummulla, Ella, Kundasale, Bamunakotuwa, Paduwasnuwara West, Polpithigama, Wanathawilluwa, Chilaw, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kanthale and Rambewa where the 22 individuals who lost their lives in the accident were residents.

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USD 6.9 mn loss due to fertiliser imports: Mahindananda seeks anticipatory bail

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Mahindananda / Shasheendra

Shasheendra, too, is to be questioned soon

Former Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has filed an anticipatory bail application in the Fort Magistrate’s court in a bid to prevent the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) from taking him into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation into the importation of a stock of allegedly substandard organic fertiliser from China during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali has asked the CIABOCt to present its position regarding the issue at hand to the court on May 19.

The CIABOC has asserted that the transaction caused Sri Lanka a loss of USD 6.9 mn.

The CIABOC arrested former Additional Secretary (Development) to the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mahesh Gammanpila on April 28, 2025, over his role in the deal with China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech in 2021.

At the time Mahesh Gammanpila served as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Agriculture, Shasheendra Rajapaksa had been its Minister. Gammanpila is the current Chief Secretary of the Uva Provincial Council.

Aluthgamage had been the Cabinet Minister at the time the government finalised the questionable deal with the Chinese company.

CIABOC, on May 5, told court that the investigations were continuing and the ministers who decided on the importation of fertiliser from China, too, would be arrested and produced in court.

According to the CIABOC website, Mahesh Gammanpila has caused approximately USD 6.9 million loss to the government by issuing orders to open the suspended Letters of Credit to import the substandard organic fertiliser consignment from Qingdao Seawin Biotech, China, in 2021.

Although Fort Magistrate granted bail to Gammanpila on May 5, he continued to be in remand as he couldn’t meet the bail conditions. The court has also imposed a travel ban on him. (SF)

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