‘Time is opportune to formulate new constitution’

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

“The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) have formed a consensus government to finalise and adopt a new constitution for Sri Lanka as we do not know who would be elected as the Executive President in the future; so let's use this opportunity for the betterment of the country," Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

He was addressing the gathering at the third ‘Sathyagraha’ campaign, ‘6.2 million on alert’, which is carried out island-wide, held opposite the Sacred Bo Tree in Matara last Friday (24) evening. TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran, Ven. Dambara Amila Thera, NSSP Leader Vikramabahu Karunaratne, religious leaders and activists who supported the National Movement for a Just Society attended.

“The government of good governance proved that no one is above the law by Prime Minister's presence at the Bond Commission.” the Minister said.

“Power should be devolved for every citizen to live amicably as one family and Sri Lanka to prevail as ‘one nation’,” TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said.

He related a story of a family of three girls and a boy. "They were to decide where they were going to spend their school vacations. "Every time a vote was taken, the girls had the majority until the boy was forced to revolt against the democratic process,” he said.

Ven. Dambara Amila thera said the late minister, N. M. Perera, forecast that the executive powers vested by the new constitution formulated by the National Assembly in 1978 would be disastrous someday for the country.

NSSP Leader Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne said MP Sumanthiran was in Matara to address people of the south in Sinhala because he has faith in the present government.

“In the past, northern politicians who addressed people of the south in Sinhala were assassinated by northern extremists. "Sumanthiran has ignored this threat as this duration may be the last opportunity to adopt a new constitution,” he said.