Long-delayed 22nd Amendment published

• Constitutional Council and 9 independent commissions to be established
• Dual citizens disqualified from Parliament once Bill comes into operation
• More powers to Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption
• Some provisions to come into operation only after end of current Parliament

The Government yesterday published the long-delayed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution which will see the establishment of the Constitutional Council and nine independent commissions, disqualify dual citizens from Parliament and strengthen the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.

The Bill was published in the Gazette on the order of Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksha and will be presented to Parliament within seven days.

The nine independent commissions to be appointed are the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, National Police Commission, Audit Service Commission, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Finance Commission, Delimitation Commission and the National Procurement Commission.

All members to the Commissions can be appointed by the President only on a recommendation of the Constitutional Council once the Bill comes into operation.

The Constitutional Amendment makes provision for Parliament, by law, to establish a Commission to investigate allegations of bribery or corruption and it will be empowered to institute measures to implement the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and any other International Convention relating to the prevention of corruption, to which Sri Lanka is a party.

The President will continue to hold the portfolio of Minister of Defence but he is able to exercise the duties and functions of any other Minister of the Cabinet only for a period of 14 days provided such a subject has not been assigned to another person.

Some of the provisions of the Bill will come into operation only after the end of the term of this Parliament.