COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Monday said that he has called for a party leaders' meeting on Thursday to discuss key constitutional reforms, according to a media report.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka's principal Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), presented a constitutional amendment bill that among other provisions seeks to abolish the presidential system of governance, in existence in the country since 1978, and replace it with a system that reinforces constitutional democracy.
Speaker Abeywardena, in a letter addressed to the Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa, had informed him about the meeting, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
"I have received your proposal for the constitutional reforms and the 22nd Amendment handed over to me by the 40 members who became independent. However, since the amendment submitted by your party is a private members' motion, it will be a time-consuming affair to get it approved," the Speaker told the Leader of Opposition in his letter.
"However I have submitted both proposals to the Cabinet. It is the Cabinet which has to refer the proposals to the Attorney General. I cannot work against the Constitution," he said in the letter.
The move by the SJB came in the backdrop of massive protests demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Sri Lanka Podujana (Peramuna)-led government over the country's worst economic crisis.
The SJB presented the draft 21st constitution amendment bill to the secretary-general of parliament with proposals including the abolition of the current executive presidential system.
Sri Lanka's economic crisis has turned into a full-blown political crisis after a March 31 protest turned violent with the police attacking protesters.
The protesters are demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation.
The Opposition has been considering a no-confidence motion against the government and an impeachment motion against the president.
The powerful Rajapaksa family tightened their grip on power after their massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, which allowed them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key positions.
In his 2019 presidential bid, Rajapaksa won a convincing mandate for a presidency during which he sought full presidential powers over Parliament.
Sri Lanka is grappling with an unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.
The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
The island nation is witnessing large-scale protests against the government's mishandling of the debt-ridden economy the worst-ever economic crisis in the country's history.