Archives for May 29, 2018

A meter that would give out a printed receipt will have to be fixed to three-wheelers throughout the island and it would be made compulsory from 20th June says the National Council for Road Safety Dr Sisira Kodagoda.
The meter that prints a receipt was introduced from 20th April but it was not made compulsory as drives from rural areas had difficulty in buying the meter and the period was extended by two months. However, this period expires on 20th June and legal action would be taken against drivers who do not fix the meters to their three-wheelers before this date.

(2nd edition) The draft of the 20th amendment to the Constitution presented to parliament as a private member’s motion by the JVP has been released to the public.
The draft was released to the media at a press conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta yesterday (28th). The Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka, its General Secretary Tilvin Silva and the Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunneththi were present.
Among the facts included in the 20th amendment presented under the Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath are:
1. The President is elected from Parliament
2. The term of the President is equal to the term of the Parliament which is five years
3. The President should be elected with a secret ballot by a simple majority in Parliament (including MPs who are absent) within four weeks of the appointment of a new Parliament
4. From the clause “There shall be a President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, who is the Head of the State, the Head of the Executive and of the Government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” the section ‘head of the government’ would be withdrawn.
5. During the tenure of office the President should not hold any position of a political party nor could be a member of any political party
6. Amnesty to any offender by the President should be approved by the cabinet
7. The President retains the power of appointing personnel for foreign service with recommendation from the cabinet
8. At a general election any candidate named as prime minister by a political party that has received more than 50% of the votes will be appointed as the prime minister
9. When no party is able to receive 50% votes at a general election the person who enjoys the majority in Parliament would be appointed as the Prime Minister
10. The staff of the President will be decided by the cabinet.
Full text of the amendment would be published later.

Access the full text of the amendment using this link:

Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution-English