Sri Lanka – Government now has a two-thirds majority

In Sri Lanka, the Department of Information is reporting that the government now has a two-thirds majority in parliament. This is enough for it to be able to pass constitutional amendments. The government plans either to allow the president to stand for a third term, or to change the nature of regime itself, with the president becoming the prime minister in a parliamentary system.

The recent election returned 144 seats for the ruling UPFA. There are 225 seats in total. So, a two-thirds majority is 153 deputies. As reported previously, two opposition deputies joined the government side. Given the Speaker of parliament is neutral and from the UPFA, then the government had the support of 145 deputies. Now, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is supporting the constitutional amendments process. The SLMC has 8 deputies. So, this gives the government exactly the majority it requires.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *