Constitutional amendments are getting further delayed as leaders of United National Party and Sri Lanka Freedom Party will hold crucial talks on the matter only after the return of President Maithripala Sirisena from United Kingdom, local media reported.

Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne recently said that constitutional amendments will be tabled in the parliament in the first week of this month. However, the differences did not let it happen within the said time.

There is considerable debate on the nature of the constitutional reforms to be implemented mainly concerning the powers of the executive presidency and the electoral reforms.

Reports indicated that UNP is supportive of the presidential powers and electoral reforms to be amended separately. Some government leaders had said that electoral reforms could be legalized, making an exception for the forthcoming election due to time constraints.

However, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told ‘The Nation’ newspaper a few weeks back that the government has the capability of implementing electoral reforms within the available time. Cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne recently assured that the next election will be held under the new electoral system.

Meanwhile, there is considerable debate on the powers of the president under the new system. The main arguments are for total abolition of executive powers and curtailing of executive powers.