Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has warned that the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution poses a grave threat to judicial independence and the rule of law.
He made the remarks speaking to the media after attending the hearing of petitions against the amendment at the Supreme Court yesterday (01).
Premadasa accused the governmentof eroding democratic norms despite being elected to safeguard them.
He said that his party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, has joined several other groups in challenging the amendment through the highest court in the country.
Single-party rule
Premadasa said that the proposed changes violate established international norms governing the judiciary.
He noted that legal bodies, including the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, have already voiced serious concern that the amendment weakens the judicial framework.
He claimed the government is pushing the legislation to consolidate power and establish single-party dominance.
He pointed to recent changes in youth society elections and civil security committee appointments as further proof of a broader push to dilute democratic institutions.
Calls for a referendum
Because power is shared across the executive, legislature, and judiciary, Premadasa argued that a measure with such wide-reaching impact must be put to a national referendum rather than decided solely by a parliamentary vote.
He stressed that protecting judicial independence remains non-negotiable under both local and international legal standards.
He added that the NPP government is failing to resolve critical domestic issues, including industrial decline and rising unemployment, while offering inadequate remedies to the public.
Rather than restricting democratic freedoms, the Opposition Leader urged the government to fulfill its original mandate by introducing a new constitution, abolishing the executive presidency, and expanding the fundamental rights chapter.
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