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20 th amendment - 225 MPs only: No matter what president says , it will necessitate a referendum –legal experts

(Lanka-e-News- 09.June.2015, 4.00PM) It was decided at yesterday’s special cabinet meeting in connection with the 20 th amendment that the parliamentary seats shall not be increased. 

Accordingly the number of MPs will remain at 225 in the proposed amendment , and under the new elections system , at electoral level there will be 125 MPs based on the first past post system , district representation wise - 75 MPs and  under the national list- 25 MPs 

There were a number of discussions and debates on this , while there was opposition to increasing the number of UNP  MPs. The leader of SLMC minister  Rauff Hakeem and minister Digambaram made a proposal for a double polling card system . In this context , it was discussed , while there  is a large number of voters who  unable to select the symbol  are casting  invalid votes , suddenly introducing a complex voting system would compound the confusion .  

The cabinet ministers made it clear to the president that at a time when the proposed 20th amendment is being steered forward ,the no confidence motion being brought up is to dent the image of the president, and therefore  that should be withdrawn.

The final draft incorporating the decisions taken yesterday is to be given over to the legal draftsmen so that after it is finally prepared it will be received back on Friday the 12 th.  On  that day itself a cabinet meeting is to be convened to hold discussions in that regard, and is to be tabled in parliament on Monday the 15 th as an emergency bill , based on the decision taken  at yesterday’s cabinet meeting. 

A number of popular lawyers expressing their views in this connection to Lanka e news said , no matter what the president expresses , the 20th amendment cannot be steered forward that speedily as claimed. There is a great possibility that after being presented to the supreme court (SC) , a people’s referendum might become necessary 

And if that happens , it is only after that the 20 th amendment can be brought forward .In that event is the parliament to be dissolved after the referendum ? they questioned.

Meanwhile , at a  rally this evening , the president castigated those who oppose the 20 th amendment as betrayers.

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by     (2015-06-09 10:41:18)

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