The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is a major victory for President Maithripala Sirisena, The Economist magazine said in an article published on April 30, days after stating that the government has a long way to go in keeping its promises.

 

Pointing out that Sirisena clinched the January presidential election on a promise to do away with the office he was campaigning for, The Economist stated that the amendment fell short of a total abolition of executive presidency. It also pointed out that the staunchest opposition came from the allies of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

 

The Economist also commented on the manner in which the Amendment was finally passed, which did not allow people to see the final document which was passed. Most of the negotiations did not actually take place in the parliamentary chamber. However, the magazine commended the Amendment saying that "this is the furthest any Sri Lankan government has gone towards pruning an overweening executive presidency in the nearly four decades since it was introduced."

 

It also pointed out that some of the provisions in the amendment were seemingly direct attacks on former president Mahinda Rajapaksa'a family. The amendment prohibited dual citizens from being elected to parliament and increased the age limit for a presidential candidate, affecting the political ambitions of Rajapaksa's younger brother and elder son respectively.

 

The new amendment also reverses some of the damage that Mr Rajapaksa inflicted upon public institutions during his rule, from 2005 to 2015, The Economist said.

 

Pointing out that the UNP is pushing for immediate dissolution of parliament since the government is finding it hard to carry out legislative reforms, The Economist said an election is more likely in August. "This gives the government time to pass new electoral laws. The authorities will also deepen investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption against key members of Mr Rajapaksa’s clique," The Economist added.