Proposals for the new constitution: People’s Democratic Centre

Photo courtesy ConstitutionNet

• by Peoples Democratic Centre 
• - on 03/03/2016 

We wish to present the following proposals   for the Constitution

Nature of the State

The Sri Lankan Constitution should provide the basis for a strong constitutional commitment to plural democracy, multiculturalism, gender equality and justice, secularism, the rule of law and the devolution of political power to the Provinces. The state should be inclusive of all the communities and   their cultures in the country and without such an inclusiveness they do not feel that they belong to this country. The state should protect and foster the values of plural democracy as a hallmark of the Sri Lankan state. The Sri Lankan state should underpin the values of gender equality and justice and this is essential owing to the fact women now represent more than half of the Sri Lankan population. The Sri Lankan state should reclaim its previous constitutional status of secularism, which disappeared in the 1972 Republican Constitution. No one religion should have   a special constitutional favor. Such constitutional guarantees discriminate other communities and faiths and that would affect the harmony essential for the peaceful coexistence of the multi-cultural and multi- religious communities in the country. The Sri Lankan state should be committed to the rule of law and the Constitution should make strong provisions to protect our people’s right to exercise the rule of law.

Due to the centralization of political power at the center during the colonial times and its continuation after independence despite the opportunities of dismantling it we have paid a heavy price. Both the Constitutions of 1972 and 1978 failed to address the issues of centralization and its harmful effects on community cohesion as far as the regional democratic aspirations are concerned. Therefore, regional power sharing needs to be non- reversible part of the state and   the Constitution should make a strong commitment to power sharing.

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