Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the government and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of undermining democratic institutions, saying the country is being pushed from democracy towards dictatorship.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, 23 September, Premadasa criticised the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, arguing that it would weaken the independence of the judiciary, separation of powers and checks and balances. His remarks came as Parliament prepared to debate the Bill following the Supreme Court’s determination that the amendment did not require approval at a referendum, subject to specified changes.
Premadasa said the government had come to power promising a new social contract and systemic change, but argued that the proposed constitutional changes did not fulfil that promise. He accused the executive of seeking greater influence over the judiciary and said the process was damaging public confidence in judges and the rule of law.
“The institutions of the democratic structure that protect human and fundamental rights are being undermined and the country is being led to a change in the way a single party governs the country,” Premadasa said. He added that the government and President would “go down in history as the killers of democracy”, describing the 22nd Amendment as a measure that would damage democratic institutions and constitutional checks and balances.
The Opposition Leader also challenged the government’s emphasis on international economic ratings, arguing that favourable assessments by Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s did not reflect the difficulties faced by people on the ground. He cited farmers, three-wheeler drivers, self-employed workers and entrepreneurs as groups whose economic concerns, he said, needed greater attention.
Premadasa specifically referred to the price of paddy, saying there was still no guaranteed price of Rs.150 per kilogram. He also claimed that industrialists were leaving the country and that locally based multinational companies were opening operations abroad.
He further criticised the government’s claim that Rs.17,315 was sufficient for an individual’s livelihood, describing the figure as deceptive and arguing that state policies were being formulated around it.
Premadasa also raised the case of 135 young people from Sri Lanka’s restaurant sector seeking employment in Israel. He questioned what he described as a departure from the previous lottery-based selection process and linked the issue to fundamental and human rights. He said the government should meet the young people involved in a programme in which participants were expected to pay Rs.3.5 million to go to Israel for employment.
The Opposition Leader also accused ministers of failing to provide satisfactory answers in Parliament to questions concerning people affected by current difficulties. He said the government was treating the lives of Sri Lanka’s 22 million people as a joke and called on it to stop making what he described as false claims.
The government’s position on the 22nd Amendment was not included in Premadasa’s remarks. Parliament is scheduled to debate the Bill on 24 and 25 September following the Supreme Court determination announced by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne on 22 September.
