Big Bad Bills
Wednesday 23rd September, 2026 The JVP core of the NPP government makes no bones about its insatiable desire to go beyond governing the country and consolidate its grip on the state; this is something it sought to achieve through extra-parliamentary means on two previous occasions, but in vain. It is busy removing politico-legal obstacles in […]
On Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026, the ruling NPP government expressed its ambition to expand its control beyond the government and state through extra-parliamentary means, having attempted this before without success. The core of the NPP government appears to have adopted the belief that the end justifies the means. Following the 22nd Amendment (22A) drama, Supreme Court (SC) determination has made it clear that 22A can be passed with a two-thirds majority without a referendum.
This has likely pleased the proponents of the controversial bill. However, there are still questions left unanswered by legal experts. The Opposition plans a protest at Polduwa Junction near Parliament the next day. The NPP government is excited and is ready to push through 22A with its supermajority. However, there are still challenges ahead.
The controversial constitutional amendment will be subject to scrutiny in the people's court. The Provincial Council Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2017, which changed the electoral system and introduced a women's quota, has faced delays and is now being demanded to be held under the previous electoral system. This bill is just one example of how the quality of a law depends on its transparency and consultative process.
If a law is seen as politically motivated, it will not be seen as legitimate. Future governments with two-thirds majorities will also be able to change the retirement ages of judges according to their own whims. The government's desire to undermine the separation of powers and control other branches of government is evident. The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill has also been put under the microscope by the Supreme Court, which has held that Clause 17 is inconsistent with the Constitution.
The government may consider this a chance for political theatre and put the Anti-Corruption Bill or Clause 17 before the people at a referendum. The current leaders of the JVP should apologize to President J.R. Jayewardene for the terror campaign against his government in the late 1980s, as they seem to be emulating him and cannot let go of the executive presidency.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
