New Delhi: Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will discuss the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to curb the presidential powers with the Attorney General's Department on Monday so that it can be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A which gave unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment which had made Parliament powerful over the president.
"21st Amendment: This will be taken up for discussion with the Attorney General's Department tomorrow (Monday) and then be presented to Cabinet for approval," Wickremesinghe tweeted on Sunday.
The tweet came following the first Cabinet meeting held on Sunday wherein special attention was paid to fuel imports.
The powerful Rajapaksa family has been at the centre of the public ire over the country's financial crisis as the massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, enabled them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key positions.
In 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa won a convincing mandate for a presidency during which he sought full presidential powers over Parliament.
Wickremesinghe on Sunday held discussions with representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on the current economic crisis in the country and said that the two financial institutions have pledged support to assist in procuring essential items like medicine, and food and fertiliser.
He also outlined a plan to fulfill fuel requirements.
"Given the dollar scarcity at banks, we are exploring other options of securing the necessary funds to pay for the coming week's fuel requirements," he tweeted.
"The government has secured payments for an LP Gas consignment which will begin to unload and distribute as early as possible," he informed.
According to the Prime Minister's office, Wickremesinghe is scheduled to make a special statement on Monday.
More Cabinet Ministers To Be Sworn-In Today: Report
According to Daily Mirror, a few more Cabinet ministers of the new government are slated to be sworn in on Monday.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is planning for the appointment of 18 ministers in addition to himself and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the report stated. Besides, there will be 30 state ministers.
Four ministers have already been sworn-in.
According to the report, ten slots will be reserved for lawmakers of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had sacked his Cabinet and appointed a younger Cabinet in response to the demand for his resignation. A continuous protest opposite his secretariat has now gone on for well over a month as people continue to seek his removal from the post.
Last Monday, Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as the prime minister to make way for the president to appoint an interim all political party government. Wickremesinghe was appointed the country's new prime minister on Thursday.
(With Agency Inputs)