Sarvajana Balaya leader and Member of Parliament Dilith Jayaweera has called on fellow parliamentarians to vote according to their conscience against the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
In a letter addressed to all Members of Parliament on September 24, Jayaweera described the proposed amendment as “short-sighted” and urged MPs to carefully consider its implications when casting their votes.
He argued that while the judiciary determines whether a proposed constitutional amendment is consistent with the Constitution and what level of parliamentary or public approval is legally required, the question of whether an amendment ultimately benefits the country and its people rests with lawmakers.
Jayaweera particularly appealed to government MPs who, he said, had previously advocated for the rule of law, democracy and an independent judiciary.
Referring to the past impeachment proceedings against former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, he said many current MPs had previously spoken in defence of judicial independence.
He also argued that parliamentarians should remember that they were elected by voters and should consider the commitments made to the public when deciding how to vote on a significant constitutional issue.
Jayaweera warned in his letter that the way individual MPs vote on major national issues could be remembered by both history and the voters who elected them.
He urged MPs to vote against the 22nd Amendment, while also saying that abstaining from the vote could be an option for those facing what he described as practical difficulties.
The statements represent Jayaweera’s position on the proposed amendment ahead of the parliamentary vote.
