Acting Sri Lanka Prez Wickremesinghe To Dilute Powers of Executive Presidency

He also announced the abolition of the President's flag and the use of the term 'His Excellency' for the President.

Acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Ranil Wickremesinghe)

Right after being officially sworn in as Sri Lanka's acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday, 15 July, announced the abolition of the president's flag and the use of the term 'His Excellency' for the president.

These measures are a part of his plan to reinstate the 19th Amendment to the country's Constitution, which dilutes the powers of the executive presidency.

In June, the Sri Lankan Cabinet had approved the 21st Amendment to the Constitution aimed at empowering the Parliament over the executive president.

Besides these two key decisions, he said that the new president who will be elected next week will present the 19th amendment to the Parliament.

Although he "supports the right to peacefully protest," he said that it was necessary to maintain law and order.

He added that a committee of tri-forces and police has been appointed to restore peace in the country. He also announced increased security for MPs while they continue to be pressurised to elect a new president.

He further urged all parties to come to a common consensus on the establishment of an all-party interim government.

"I will safeguard the Constitution and not permit any action that violates the Constitution. I will unite all parties and work together for the betterment of the country," he said.

Wickremesinghe took over as the acting president on Tuesday, 12 July, after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and landed in the Maldives, later fleeing to Singapore.

However, as Sri Lanka continues to be in the grips of an ongoing political crisis, his appointment is being widely contested.

He was asked to step down in an emergency all-party meeting on 13 July, where the leaders demanded that the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena take over as acting president instead.

The Parliament will elect a new president on July 20, the speaker said on Monday.