The Eighteenth Amendment and the Empowering of the President of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, which was introduced by the late former President in 1978, which has been in existence henceforth, has been amended eighteen times. The rudimentary objective of the eighteenth amendment is to accord supreme power and authority on key posts to the president. This has made the president, an executive president with dominant power. The eighteenth amendment would bolster the ones, who wish to defeat democracy and assassinate good governance in order to create a totalitarian government. The contemporary government believes that to liberate the country completely from civil war and to make good socio economic development during the post-war era, there is a desperate need for executive governance, which is the only mean by which political stability and strength can be achieved. The government also believes that the sovereignty of people would be enhanced, since the right to choose the president lies with the people, and allowing a person to hold the office any number of times can be considered as prime democracy. In actuality, the aforementioned arguments are valid only in societies with sound knowledge, ability to think laterally and traits of good governance. On the other hand, one cannot disregard the argument that, this may pave the way for the demise of democracy and good governance in Sri Lanka, leading to a totalitarian government in Sri Lanka. This article is written at a time when fear and questions are being raised regarding their influence on the political culture, democracy and good governance in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Amendment, President, Election, Parliamentary Council, Constitutional Council