📈 Towards a "System-Changing" Third Republican Constitution

On the 54th anniversary of Sri Lanka becoming a Republic, calls have intensified for a transformative Third Republican Constitution to dismantle executive dominance and reflect the "system change" demanded by the 2022 Aragalaya. • Political Mandate for Reform The 2024 elections signaled a decisive rejection of dynastic rule. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidency with 55.89% of the combined vote in the second round. Subsequently, the NPP captured 61.56% of the vote, securing 159 out of 225 seats—a decisive two-thirds majority in Parliament to pursue constitutional overhauls. • Proposed Constitutional Framework Both the NPP and its rival SJB have committed to key structural updates: Replacing the executive presidency with a parliamentary form of government. Enhancing fundamental rights to explicitly include economic, social, cultural, women's, and disabled rights. Implementing maximum devolution of political and administrative power to provinces and local units for ethnic peace. • Core Legal Pillars & Accountability Constitutional Supremacy: Ensuring all State actions (including Parliament) are subject to judicial review, rendering inconsistent laws void. Unalterable Basic Structure: Introducing immutable values like human dignity, multi-party democracy, and the doctrine of public trust to prevent authoritarian capture. Despite a clear mandate to dismantle authoritarian structures, critics note continued government inaction, urging swift execution to ensure sovereignty genuinely rests with the people.