18th Amendment: Govt-UNP talks shortly

by Anura Maitipe

The government is to negotiate with the UNP to seek the support of the main opposition for the 18th amendment which provides for the setting up of five Regional Appeal Courts.

Justice Ministry sources disclosed that negotiations would begin shortly. UNP spokesman Tissa Attanayake told the 'Sunday Observer' "that the UNP had made its position known to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. There are certain areas to be clarified and it will be handled by party leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe," he stressed.

They said both parties have agreed in principle for the necessity to have the 18 amendment passed early.

"We hope whatever differences over the appointing of judges could be resolved," Ministry sources added.

The 18 Amendment to the Constitution provides to increase the number of Appeal Court Judges from 11 to 21 and to set up five Regional Appeal Courts.

The setting up of Regional Appeal Courts is expected to ease the backlog of 14,000 cases before the Court of Appeal.

However, a vote on the 18th amendment was put off when it was taken up in Parliament on July 7 after opposition legislators objected.

The amendment requires the two third majority of the 225 member Parliament.

But the main Opposition United National party objected when the amendment was taken up, demanding to activate the Constitutional Council, if they were to support the 18th amendment.

The Constitutional Council, which was set up under the 17 amendments to the Constitution, is now defunct due to the tug of war between the government ally JVP and the Tamil proxy TNA over the minority party member to the Constitutional Council.