Sri Lanka: Prez assures to amend Constitution to empower Parliament amid raging violence

Amid tension over the economic crisis, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that steps will be taken to amend the Constitution of the country to re-enact the contents of the 19th Amendment to further empower the Parliament.

Taking to Twitter, President informed that a new Prime Minister who commands a majority in Parliament and is able to secure the confidence of the people will be appointed within this week.

"Steps will be taken to form a new government to prevent the country from falling into anarchy and to maintain the affairs of the state that have come to a halt. A PM who commands a majority in Parliament and is able to secure the confidence of the people will be appointed within this week," he said.

He also said that the new government will be given the opportunity to present a new programme and be empowered to take the country forward.

"Further, steps will be taken to amend the Constitution to re-enact the contents of the 19th Amendment to further empower the Parliament," he said further.

"Calls from various factions for the abolition of the executive presidency will be considered. With the new government and their potential to stabilize the country, we will have an opportunity to discuss this and work towards a common consensus," he said in another Tweet.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also requested assistance in maintaining the uninterrupted function of the state machinery in order to protect the lives of the people and their property.

"I humbly request assistance in maintaining the uninterrupted function of the state machinery in order to protect the lives of the people and their property. To maintain a continuous supply of essentials without allowing the country to collapse at any point in time," he said.

Sri Lanka's economic situation will worsen if political stability is not achieved, the country's Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe warned on Wednesday as the island nation continued to witness large-scale violence.

Addressing a media briefing in Colombo, Weerasinghe said he has conveyed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other political leaders that he would step down from the post, if the current political crisis is not solved in the coming weeks.

The central bank chief said that it was challenging to revive an economy in a country where law and order were not maintained.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday as violence erupted in the country. A number of violent incidents have taken place in the country after pro-government groups clashed with anti-government protesters on Monday, leaving eight people dead and over 200 others injured.

Sri Lanka has been suffering from the worst economic crisis in the country's history. The economic situation was caused by shortages of foreign currency as tourist flows dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing the country from purchasing enough fuel.

(ANI)

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