Draft of 20A to be Tabled Today – Ali Sabry

Mohamed Ali Sabry

The draft of the 20th Amendment will be submitted to Cabinet for approval today (2), Minister of Justice Ali Sabry PC said.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General (AG), State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne confirmed that the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice sent the 20th Amendment draft to AG Dappula de Livera PC for his observations, yesterday (1).

The draft was prepared by a Cabinet Subcommittee comprising Minister Ali Sabry and fellow Ministers Professor G.L. Peiris, Udaya Gammanpila, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dinesh Gunawardena.

The draft will be submitted to Cabinet today in view of it being presented in Parliament tomorrow (3).

The Government, on several occasions, stated in repealing the 19th Amendment and replacing it with the 20th Amendment, the salient features of the former Amendment will be retained, including those concerning the limits on the Presidential term (two terms) and tenure (five years per term) and the maintenance of the Independent Commissions.

(Source: Ceylon Today – By Faadhila Thassim)