Cabinet nod for final Draft of 22A to Constitution

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the final Draft of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution presented by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Reforms Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC yesterday. The Draft Bill was to be published in the Gazette last night, the Minister told the Daily News.

According to Minister Rajapakshe, the Draft Bill will be presented to Parliament on a day after seven days from the publication in the Gazette, which is after August 9. When asked, the Minister said this is the original Bill he presented to the previous Cabinet and no changes have been made to it.

“Once it is presented to Parliament, the public will be given a period of seven days to raise objections and challenge it in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has three weeks to deliver the judgement on these objections if any.

Following this process, the Bill could be debated in the House,” he further said.

When the 22nd Amendment is passed into law, it will be included in the Constitution as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.