Sri Lanka unveils proposals for constitutional reforms

Sri Lankan authorities on Tuesday formally released a set of proposals for key constitutional reforms which were approved by the cabinet.

The gazette notification on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution has been published and the public are allowed to submit their concerns within two weeks, the Government Information Department said.

The notification will be open for public recommendations and will be presented to parliament for approval before it becomes a law, Xinhua news agency reported.

The key constitutional amendment was part of the election manifesto of President Maithripala Sirisena, who took office in January this year.

Ahead of the January election, Sirisena said the president will cease to be the head of government and instead the government will be under the prime minister.

However, the gazette notification notes that the president will be the executive leader, head of state, head of the cabinet and commander-in-chief.

The president will also serve only a five-year term and not of six years as now, and no person who has been twice elected to the office of president shall be qualified thereafter to be elected to such office by the people.

"The president shall be responsible to parliament for the due exercise, performance and discharge of his or her powers, duties and functions under the constitution and any written law, including the law for the time being relating to public security," the gazette notification added.

The proposals were made following talks between the president and his coalition partners, including the United National Party (UNP) led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.