Former President Maithripala Sirisena said that the purpose of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was to limit the powers of the executive Presidency and reduce the term of office of the President from six to five years.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday (19) said that the failure to amend Article 83 (b) of the Constitution was a lapse on the part of Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, PC, due to inexperience.

President's Counsel Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne on Saturday (20) issued a clarification over a statement made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Dr. Wickramaratne expressed regret that President Ranil Wickremesinghe thought it fit to place the entire blame on him for not reducing the upper limits of the President's and Parliament's terms.

Responding to both these statements, former President Maithripala Sirisena stressed that the 19th Amendment was brought in to abolish the 18th Amendment that gives unlimited powers to the Executive Presidency.

As a common candidate at the time, he said the19th Amendment to the Constitution was to limit the powers of the executive Presidency and reduce the term of office of the President from six to five years.