• Fmr. President says 19th was pivotal to dismantle ‘monarch’ like powers of Ex.Presidency
• Dr. Wickramaratne regrets President Wickremesinghe’s assertions

Former President Maithripala Sirisena last weekend clarified the foundational objectives of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, stressing its role in curbing the excessive powers of the Executive Presidency and reducing the presidential term from six to five years.

Responding to certain assertions regarding the amendment’s purpose made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Sirisena told the media yesterday (21) that its primary aim was to repeal the 18th Amendment, which had vested the Executive Presidency with unrestricted authority akin to a ‘monarchy’.

“As a common candidate during that period, the 19th Amendment was pivotal in dismantling the excessive powers of the Executive Presidency and ensuring its term was reduced to five years,” he said reflecting on the context of its enactment.

He further noted that the amendment was conceived not to curtail his own tenure, but rather to institutionalise a broader reform agenda agreed upon with civil society organisations. Highlighting legal clarifications surrounding the amendment, Sirisena referenced the Supreme Court’s determination that a referendum was unnecessary for reducing the presidential term, clarifying that such a requirement would only need to extend the term.

He stated that the 19th Amendment is a significant step towards democratic governance and constitutional balance in Sri Lanka. “Now, no one is talking about the 18th Amendment. Everyone talks about the shortcomings of the 19th Amendment. But I should say I was the only leader who was willing to reduce my own power,” he added.

Meanwhile, President’s Counsel, Dr. Jayampathi Wickramaratne, the former Member of Parliament who was instrumental in crafting the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, clarified that certain provisions concerning the upper limits of the presidential and parliamentary terms, as outlined in Article 83 of the Constitution, were deliberately left unchanged during the amendment’s drafting process. He also stated that this decision was made to avoid the necessity of a referendum at the time and expressed his regret over President Wickremesinghe’s attribution of a constitutional oversight solely to him.