Dr. Jayampathi Wickramaratne , the former MP who played a key role in drafting the 19th Amendment , said the upper limit of the term of President and Parliament as mentioned in Article 83 of the Constitution was not touched at that time only to avoid a referendum, and therefore it is regretted that President Ranil Wickremesinghe placing the blame solely on him for the constitutional error.

Issuing a statement in response to the President’s remarks, he said , “I wish to set the record straight.

Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena signed a memorandum of understanding with a group of 49 political parties and organisations headed by the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thero at Viharamaha Devi Park, in which he pledged to abolish the Executive Presidency altogether. However, the very next day, he signed another MOU with the Jathika Hela Urumaya, in which he pledged not to make any constitutional change requiring a Referendum. Mr Sirisena’s election manifesto also stated that no constitutional reform necessitating a Referendum would be initiated.

Soon after being sworn in, President Sirisena appointed Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. Constitutional affairs was Gazetted as a subject under Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Premier Wickremesinghe was appointed to oversee the Nineteenth Amendment process. The five-member team that prepared the initial draft comprised three retired officials who had served in very senior positions in the Legal Draftsman’s Department, myself and another lawyer. The entire drafting process was carried out on the basis that the Bill should not be placed for approval at a referendum, in keeping with President Sirisena’s electoral pledge.

While the terms of the President and Parliament were proposed to be reduced from six to five years, the upper limit of six years was not touched as that would require a Referendum. Article 83 of the Constitution mandates that a Bill that seeks to amend or is inconsistent with particular Articles listed or the said upper limits would be required to be passed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approved by the People at a Referendum. It is essential to note that Article 83 itself is included in the list of provisions requiring a Referendum.

The several drafts prepared were all shared and discussed with the Cabinet sub-committee. The draft finally approved by the Cabinet sub-committee was then sent to the Legal Draftsman, who took over as required by law and made some changes. It was then sent to the Attorney-General, who took the view that certain clauses, especially some that reduced the powers of the President, would require a Referendum. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had several meetings with the Attorney General to discuss the matter. I participated in one such meeting. Several changes had to be made to the Bill because of the Attorney-General’s position.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe presented the Bill to Parliament. When it was challenged in the Supreme Court, the Attorney-General argued on behalf of the Government that no provision required a Referendum. The clauses that the Supreme Court held to require a Referendum were either amended or withdrawn in Parliament.

In light of the above, I regret that President Wickremesinghe has thought it fit to place the entire blame on me for not reducing the upper limits of the President's and Parliament's terms. I reiterate that the entire amendment process was based on avoiding a Referendum following President Sirisena’s pledge at the Presidential election,”

The National Security Council, chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, held a meeting today (19) at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss preparations for the 2024 Presidential election.

Canada announced Wednesday it was slashing international student permits next year, and tightening foreign worker rules to further bring down the number of temporary residents in the country.

Three persons, including the invigilator, who were on duty at the examination centre of the Rathmale Thissa Maha Vidyalaya in Anuradhapura were to be suspended over the leakage of a Grade 5 Scholarship Examination question paper, North Central Provincial Education Director S.M.W. Samarakoon said.

The Examinations Department and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have launched an investigation into concerns raised over the first paper of the recently held Grade 5 Scholarship examination.

Sri Lanka has reached agreements with external commercial creditors to restructure approximately USD 17.5 bn of external debt, achieving a 40.3% Net Present Value (NPV) concession, the President’s Media Division said.

The Education Ministry today announced the closure of all schools tomorrow (20) as requested by the Election Commission. The schools will reopen on Monday (23).

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has announced a trade union action tomorrow (18), targeting hospitals across the country, GMOA spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said.

Six teachers, including a school principal in an examination centre in Anuradhapura, who had allegedly shared the first question paper of the Grade Five scholarship examination using a mobile phone, were taken into custody by the officials of the Examinations Department.

Over the past 76 years, politics in the country has turned into a massive business, causing widespread hardships, Presidential candidate Janaka Rathnayaka said.

SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, addressing a rally, pledged to provide targeted fuel subsidies to essential workers, including farmers, fishermen, three-wheeler drivers and school van/bus operators.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate of the National People’s Power (NPP), has pledged to completely remove VAT on essential sectors such as food, education, and healthcare.

PAFFREL has received reports from the Nuwara Eliya area over a group distributing boxes of matches featuring a Presidential candidate's picture and election symbol on either side. Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi, said he has informed the Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the Nuwara Eliya district about this issue.

The Public Security Ministry said that there are currently no plans to impose a curfew on election day and that all security measures are in place, with the armed forces on standby if necessary.

NPP MP Vijitha Herath hinted that the Prime Minister could be a female in a National People's Power (NPP) government. Speaking at a meeting in Minuwangoda, he said after the victory on September 21, a new Cabinet will be appointed with the powers vested with the President under Article 47.3 of the Constitution and parliament will be dissolved.

MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, leader of the United Republic Front, urged voters planning to support Ranil Wickremesinghe or the SLPP not to waste their votes.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has not established any new consulates nor made additional honorary consul appointments in Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry said Sri Lanka continues to maintain its official embassy in Tel Aviv, which has been the sole diplomatic mission in Israel since 2000.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has pledged to bring in a legislation to ban corporal punishment soon.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has officially reached a final decision to endorse Sajith Premadasa, the presidential candidate of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), at the upcoming presidential election. The announcement came after a party meeting held this morning (Sep. 16) in Vavuniya, where the party’s central committee made the final decision.

An investigation has been launched after a back-up helicopter escorting President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an emergency landing on Saturday. The Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 412 (SUH 522) made an unplanned landing in a paddy field in Eppawala yesterday due to a technical issue.

National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that his government would cancel Indian conglomerate Adani’s 450 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka if elected. He claimed the agreement was corrupt and skewed against Sri Lanka’s interests.