Sri Lanka, Sept. 17 -- The proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution has attracted much criticism and generated plenty of controversy but the government is keen to go ahead with plans to expedite its passage through Parliament despite some strong reservations emerging from within its own ranks.

The objective of the proposed 20th Amendment which has now been gazetted is to reverse most of the changes brought about by the 19th Amendment which was enacted by the previous government. It was also a key election pledge of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

The 19th Amendment was aimed at shifting the balance of power from the Executive Presidency to Parliament. It pruned the powers of the President and placed some of those power...