20th Amendment to the constitution revisited amidst public pushback

An expert committee to examine the 20th amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution is to be following growing public concerns that the amendment would remove parliamentary oversight and centralise power within the presidency.

The 20th amendment has also faced opposition from within the SLPP.

On Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, spoke about the dangers of the amendment saying;

“I am troubled that the new government is swiftly reneging on its commitments to the Human Rights Council… Among other developments, the proposed 20th Amendment to the constitution may negatively impact the independence of key institutions, including the National Human Rights Commission.”

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