COLOMBO, Aug 9 : Sri Lanka's main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on Sunday accused the ruling NPP government of seeking to undermine judicial independence and pave the way for one-party rule through its plan to raise the retirement age of judges.
Last week, the Cabinet approved the publication of a draft constitutional amendment which seeks to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65 years to address the backlog of more than 1.1 million pending court cases.
Addressing a political gathering in the south-eastern region of Ruwanwella, Premadasa said, "This would lead to a single-party rule, erosion of democracy and an attack on the independence of (the) judiciary."
He said the National People's Power (NPP) government overlooks the burning issues in the island nation, such as recent clashes in prisons, by making the judges' issue a priority.
"This would need a constitutional amendment and would not lead to addressing any other problems common to people," Premadasa said.
He accused the NPP government of politicising every aspect of society, claiming that it appoints party men to youth societies and civil defence committees.
The Sri Lankan judicial system is facing a mounting backlog of over 1.1 million pending cases, prompting calls for measures to expedite court proceedings.
The government has argued that retaining experienced judges for a longer period would help reduce the mounting backlog of cases pending before courts across the country.
Last week, the government gazetted the move, paving the way for its placement in the parliamentary order paper.
The NPP government has a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which can facilitate its adoption in the assembly. The opposition argues the constitutional amendment on judges should require a public referendum. (PTI)
