The National People’s Power (NPP) Government on Friday (25) voted the controversial 22nd Amendment into law, while the Opposition, clad in black to protest the move, argued against the bill. The bill was passed following a vote in Parliament with 158 voting for and 63 voting against it.
The writing was on the wall: the Government, despite much opposition and little consultation about the bill, which many observers had warned would be detrimental to constitutionality and the need for checks and balances, steamed ahead with the bill following a court decision on the matter.
A broad segment of Sri Lanka’s legal community, professional legal bodies overseas, domestic lawmakers, academia, and professionals had stressed that while the Government’s stated intention of reducing the caseload and improving delivery of justice was commendable, the approach through the 22nd Amendment (22A) was setting a bad precedent.
Many have argued that the Government’s stated intentions on the matter were a smokescreen for an underlying agenda that was undemocratic. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and others have also highlighted that there was no consultation about the bill with stakeholders.
Despite predictions by some Opposition figures that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s stance on 22A may differ from that of the Government, the Prime Minister toed the NPP’s line in relation to the judicial reforms.
Leader of the House and Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake argued for the bill, calling out previous governments for their alleged ‘tinkering’ of the judicial mechanism in Sri Lanka during their respective terms in power. He claimed that 22A has been misunderstood and misrepresented by the Opposition and a band of elites who had gatekept access to justice for decades. Rathnayake further claimed that with 22A, the average citizen would have better access to justice.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha, addressing the House on Friday during debate, said that the Government and Parliament had an obligation to uphold good governance and ensure a new era of discipline. This came days after he had pontificated on the need for State capture.
However, the Minister claimed that the NPP was exercising its two-thirds majority in getting 22A approved, which he argued was the beginning of the change that the public had sought. He also claimed that Sri Lankans were being charged exorbitant amounts to seek legal assistance and in the pursuit of justice, which he said necessitated a ‘people’s government’ to find solutions for the gaps in the justice mechanism.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, addressing the House, said that the Government was eroding the separation of powers, which was vital for a vibrant democracy, through 22A. He argued that the move would not bring good governance and that it had caused respect for the Judiciary to decline. He said the bill would drive the independence of the Judiciary to an early grave and charged that the move may lead the public to believe that the Judiciary had been reduced to becoming a puppet of the Executive through 22A.
Premadasa further mocked Opposition figures and parties, who had supported previous amendments which eroded constitutionality and judicial independence but now argued against 22A. He argued that through the adoption of 22A, the Government had become the assassins of Sri Lanka’s democracy, warning the Prime Minister that the Government was ushering in a dark period with the exercise.
Many Opposition Members of Parliament, including Sarvajana Balaya Leader Dilith Jayaweera, called on the House and the Government to allow members to vote for the amendment based on their conscience, rather than on party views.
Drenched protests
Grand plans by Opposition groups to stage a massive protest against 22A near Parliament Junction turned out to be a poor show of collective effort, with many parties pulling out. However, the protest, spearheaded by Opposition Leader Premadasa, drew around 5,000 participants despite heavy rain. The protesters, drenched by rain, continued to march up to the Jayanthipura Junction – which was as far as they were allowed to proceed – despite Parliament convening. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), it is learnt, had invited all Opposition parties to join the protest.
It is also learnt that despite its strong opposition to 22A, the United National Party (UNP), which had initially planned to support the collective protest at the location, had eventually backed down. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a number of civil society organisations, and certain professional groups, which were protesting against the amendment, failed to turn up.
IMF agreement pending
The much-anticipated visit to Colombo by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation this month ended without a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA). The delegation, led by Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou, visited Sri Lanka to discuss recent macroeconomic developments and progress in implementing economic and financial policies under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement, as well as to make policy recommendations in the context of the 2026 Article IV Consultation. As such, the IMF’s Seventh Review of Sri Lanka’s performance has ended without an agreement, which may be reached later on.
Papageorgiou pointed out that Sri Lanka’s economy continued to show resilience amid successive shocks, but risks remained tilted towards the downside. He stated that Sri Lanka needed economic policies to withstand prevailing external vulnerabilities, including geopolitical tensions from the Middle East conflict, global trade policy uncertainties, and climate risks from El Niño. Development of a strong medium-term revenue strategy and administration, upholding energy cost recovery, and executing capital investment remain key priorities.
He warned that unwavering commitment to prudent policies and reforms was critical to safeguard macroeconomic stability. Shifting from stabilisation to transformation requires sustained momentum on structural reforms to reduce poverty and lift living standards through strong and inclusive growth. This warning is likely due to lacklustre State momentum on the reform agenda.
Papageorgiou also said that it would be prudent to maintain the 5% target and the current accountability band to firmly establish the credibility of the framework targeting inflation. The IMF official reminded Sri Lanka about concerns over maintaining the integrity of its anti-corruption frameworks, highlighting accountability as crucial to avoiding the boom-and-bust cycles that caused the 2022 economic collapse.
Vijitha off to the UN
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath is scheduled to address the general debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Monday (28), presenting Sri Lanka’s national statement before the international community.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Herath was scheduled to leave for New York on Saturday (26) to represent Sri Lanka during the High-Level Week of the 81st UNGA. During his address, the Foreign Minister is expected to present Sri Lanka’s current foreign policy priorities as well as the country’s position on key global issues.
The UNGA meeting comes as Sri Lanka’s human rights record is once again in focus at the UN, and questions regarding the Government’s momentum on justice and reconciliation are under a microscope.
Indo-Lanka security and Army wargames in Russia
With the Indo-Lanka security relationship in focus following Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh’s recent historic visit to Colombo, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) concluded its annual bilateral naval exercise with the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam last week.
The 13th edition of the Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-26) was aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation, operational coordination, and mutual understanding between the two navies under the operational supervision of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command. SLN deployed the offshore patrol vessel SLNS Sindurala for the manoeuvres, while the Indian Navy was represented by the anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kavaratti and the fleet tanker INS Jyoti.
Also in India last week, a group of Sri Lanka Army commandos trained with the National Security Guard (NSG), an elite Indian unit, reportedly under a joint training mechanism fostered under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) regional security architecture.
Meanwhile, in Russia, a group of Sri Lanka Army troops trained with their Russian counterparts during the Wolverine Path bilateral military exercise, where they were seen learning about counter-drone tactics and new battlefield tactics.
Meanwhile, Indian and Sri Lankan law enforcement officers met in Colombo last week to discuss trends in narcotics trafficking and related crimes.
US strengthens Colombo’s ability to detect sanctions evasion
The US Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction, in partnership with the Atlantic Council, conducted a three-day training in Colombo earlier this month to strengthen what the US Embassy in Colombo termed “Sri Lanka’s ability to detect and respond to maritime sanctions evasion that threatens US security interests and legitimate global commerce”.
According to the US mission in Colombo, more than 40 officials from the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Merchant Shipping Secretariat, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Ministry of Defence, and SLN built proficiency in using tools to identify suspicious vessels and deceptive shipping practices, assessing sanctions and proliferation risks, and strengthening interagency coordination when potentially illicit maritime activity is detected in or near Sri Lankan waters.
This follows The Sunday Morning breaking the story about nearly 20 Iranian-flagged oil tankers under US sanctions being found loitering off the territorial waters off Galle Port in August. At the time, a Deputy Minister said that the US was yet to “officially inform the Government about the sanctioned vessel”.
“Sri Lanka sits at a strategic crossroads for global commerce, bringing both tremendous opportunity and the need for vigilance,” said US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer. “As sanctions-evasion networks increasingly exploit commercial shipping, the US is taking decisive action to counter these networks and sharing US expertise with our Sri Lankan partners to protect legitimate trade, secure critical waters, and strengthen regional security,” the US Embassy said in a press release.
It added: “Participants were also briefed on the risks facing shipping agents, bunkering (fuel) providers, and other service providers that knowingly or unknowingly support sanctioned vessels. The US has previously designated entities – including brokers, fuel suppliers, and cargo certifiers – for facilitating the operations of sanctioned vessels, underscoring that providing services such as fuel, food, or provisions to a sanctioned vessel can expose companies and individuals to US sanctions risk, including potential civil or criminal penalties.”
Source:The Moring .lk
