Sri Lanka focuses on a 19th amendment to the Constitution

Sri Lanka will focus on the need to amend the Constitution to add a 19th Amendment due to the recent conflict risen between the judiciary and legislature, the government said today. Addressing the cabinet media briefing today in Colombo, Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said there is discussion in several government circles on the need to amend the Constitution and the government will have to make a decision. However, the country will be informed before such a decision is taken, the Minister told the media. Speaker of Sri Lanka parliament Chamal Rajapaksa recently said that the solution for the present crisis between the legislature and judiciary in the country is an amendment to the Constitution. A parliamentarian of Sri Lanka's Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Attorney M.A. Sumanthiran agreeing with the Speaker's statement said the country's Constitution is flawed and in need of a new constitution . A 19th Amendment to the Constitution has also been considered as a solution to the current national issue of power devolution. The government dismissed the concerns that the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake will impact the foreign investments to the country. The United States Monday warned Sri Lanka that undermining the independence of judiciary would impact the country's ability to attract foreign investment. Minister Susil Premajayantha addressing the media briefing said there were similar concerns during the humanitarian operation but following the end of the war foreign investments increased. Minister Premajayantha also rejected the statement by the United States that the explanations given by Sri Lanka on the impeachment are not satisfactory in terms of protecting democracy. "They can express their opinions. Prof. G.L. Peiris has explained government's actions according to our Constitution after studying the issue in depth," the Minister said. The Minister, also rejecting the call made by the International Jurists Commission to reinstate the impeached Chie Justice, said the Sri Lankan government works according to the country's Constitution and not to the whims of external organizations.