( PM Wickremasinghe and some of his cabinet colleagues in the Parliament)
by Camelia Nathaniel.-24/04/2016
sunanda
Parliament has been converted into a Constitutional Assembly, and according to veteran journalist and social activist Sunanda Deshapriya, this is a positive development. In an interview with
The Sunday Leader, he said that the country needs a comprehensive constitutional reform in order to establish a democratic system based on rights. These rights should include not only individual rights but collective rights as well. The new constitution or constitutional reform needs to address unsolved issues of collective rights of ethnic and social minorities. Today, we have a historic opportunity to arrive at a consensus of both major parties and ethnically based parties. In this context, transforming the parliament to a constitutional assembly is a commendable step, says Deshapriya.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
Q: According to the government, the Constitutional Assembly was appointed for the purpose of deliberating, and seeking the views and advice of the people, on a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. Is the most important need of the moment a new constitution?
