The Attorney General (AG) informed the Supreme Court, on May 26, that if the 21st Amendment to the Constitution presented in parliament is to be passed, it must obtain the approval of the people in a referendum, reports Colombo Page. The AG informed his stance to the apex court when the petitions filed against the 21st and 22nd Amendments were taken for hearing on May 26. The petitions seek the apex court to rule that some of the provisions contained in the private resolutions of the 21st and 22nd Amendments to the Constitution presented to Parliament by the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe are unconstitutional and must be approved by a two-thirds majority in Parliament and a public referendum. The petitions seeking a verdict were taken up for hearing today (May 26) before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Janak de Silva and Arjuna Obeysekera. During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General stated that Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa had informed the Speaker that the 22nd Amendment, which had been tabled in Parliament as a motion by a private member to reduce the powers of the Executive Presidency, would be withdrawn.