Sri Lanka Parliament passes Electricity (Amendment) Bill with 96-vote majority

The Parliament of Sri Lanka passed the Third Reading of the Sri Lanka Electricity (Amendment) Bill this evening with a majority of 96 votes. A total of 121 Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favour of the bill, while 25 voted against it.

The bill, which was first introduced by the government earlier this year, had faced legal challenges. Several parties, including the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union, filed petitions against it. As a result, the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court.

Following the hearings, the Supreme Court sent its determination to the Speaker of Parliament.

On June 30, 2025, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih informed Parliament that some sections of the bill were inconsistent with the Constitution.

The court ruled that certain clauses would require not only a special majority in Parliament but also approval through a public referendum to be valid in their current form.

However, the Deputy Speaker noted that if the bill was amended according to the Supreme Court’s recommendations, these constitutional issues would not apply.

The bill had also received the green light from the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development before being presented for debate.

Earlier today, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody presented the bill for the second reading, followed by the third reading and final vote, which saw strong support in the House.

The passing of this bill marks a significant step in the government’s plans for electricity sector reforms.