19th A vote on Thursday

The vote on the 19th Amendment will be held on Thursday 23 April.

 

Political sources said it was decided at a party leaders' meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena this morning to postpone the presenting of 19th Amendment to Tuesday which was earlier scheduled for tomorrow (20).

 

Party leaders have also agreed to a two-day debate on the 19th Amendment before passing it in Parliament.

 

Sources also said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe agreed to bring electoral reforms to go hand in hand with the 19th Amendment and that Parliament stands dissolved only after both legislations were passed.

 

Earlier, President Sirisena appointed a five- member committee to find out measures to bring electoral reforms along with the 19th Amendment as UPFA was adamant that they would only support the proposed amendments only after 20th Amendment (electoral reforms) was introduced in Parliament.