Parliament to meet for the first time after common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena is elected president on 8th January 2015
President Maithripala Sirisena will take his oath of office
A Cabinet of not more than 25 members, including members of all political parties represented in Parliament, will be appointed with Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister.
In order to strengthen democracy, a National Advisory Council will be set up, which will include representatives from parties represented both in parliament as well as well as civil society organizations.
The Standing Orders will be amended with particular focus on strengthening committees of parliament. Further, in terms of Proposal 67/10 now tabled in Parliament, Oversight Committees will be set up comprising members of Parliament who are not in the Cabinet and their Chairmanship will be given to representatives of all Ministers in consultation with the leaders of all parties represented in Parliament.
The process will begin of abolishing the authoritarian executive presidential system and replacing it with an executive of a Cabinet of Ministers responsible to Parliament. Further, the process will begin of repealing the 18th Amendment to the Constitution with legislation to establish strengthened and independent institutions, including a Judicial Services Commission, a Police Commission, a Public Service Commission, an Elections Commission, a Commission against Bribery and Corruption and a Human Rights Commission. This will be through a 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which will be presented to Parliament and passed as swiftly as possible.
The independent commissions have separate pledges (refer 18 Feb & 23 Mar). The abolishment of the executive presidency and the repeal of the 18th amendment are credited when the 19th amendment is passed (refer 20 Apr)
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A code of conduct will be introduced for observation by all representatives of the people.
An all party committee will be set up to put forward proposals to replace the current Preference Vote system and replace it with an Mixed Electoral System. This will ensure representation of individual Members for Parliamentary Constituencies, with mechanisms for proportionality.
A Vote on Account will be introduced in Parliament to implement special measures to provide relief to the people by reducing the rising Cost of Living.
All state sector salaries will be be raised and direct and indirect taxes on necessary goods and services will be reduced.
An Ethical Code of Conduct will be introduced legally for all representatives of the people.
Sri Lanka will celebrate its 67th year since independence with the re-establishment of Democracy, Good Governance and the Sovereignty of the People.
Special Commissions will be appointed and required appointments made to investigate allegations of massive corruption in the preceding period of governance
A Bill to implement the National Drugs policy will be tabled, following adoption of the Policy by Cabinet.
Independent Commissions will be established and required appointments made
The National Audit Bill will be introduced and passed within 3 weeks. This will seek to enhance the mechanisms of state financial oversight.
The Right to Information Bill will be introduced and passed within 3 weeks, to provide for freedom of access to official information as well as to specify grounds on which access may be denied. Further, establishment of the freedom of information commission will take place along with the appointment of information officers.
New election laws will be prepared in accordance with the proposals put forward by the all party committee.
Amendments to change the system of elections will be placed before Parliament and passed
The bill introduced to implement the National Drugs Policy ill be passed by Parliament
The bill introduced to implement the National Audit Bill will be passed by Parliament
The bill introduced to implement the Right to Information Act (RTI) will be passed by Parliament
The Constitutional Council will be set up, and the process of making appointments to the council and establishing Independent Commissions will begin
A purely Parliamentary System will replace the Executive Presidential System
The 19th amendment is supposed to cover both. In the event that either is not covered, the scores and status will reflect it.
Parliament will be dissolved and free and fair elections will be held under a caretaker government. Following that election, the Prime Minister will be appointed from the party getting the highest number of seats at the election, with a Deputy Prime Minister from the party getting the next highest number. A National Government of all parties represented in Parliament will be established to govern for a period of at least two years.
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