General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara has directed several proposals to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pertaining to the draft 21st Amendment to the Constitution presented by Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
The proposals cite that the provisions in the 19th Amendment, that the President cannot hold ministries must be re-enacted.
The SJB said they received legal advice that a referendum is not required for the amendment as the article was in force at the time of the election of the current President.
The party also proposed that provisions be made to appoint other members of the Monetary Board in addition to the Governor of the Central Bank on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council.
The SJB also proposes the establishment of a National Priorities and Evaluation Commission as an independent commission to evaluate and issue recommendations on development projects that should be prioritised while its members must be appointed by the Constitutional Council.
The SJB also proposed that all office bearers in significant positions in the country, including the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors and Governors must mandatorily submit declarations of assets and liabilities.
It was also proposed to include provisions to formulate a legal framework in the event individuals fail to submit their asset statements or falsify information and for stern action to be taken.