Wickremesinghe calls down on concerns regarding new Constitution for Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said the new Constitution would not change the unitary nature of the country. Wickremesinghe's comments came in the wake of his political opponents headed by opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa alleging that his government is drafting a new Constitution to appease the main Tamil political party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Addressing a gathering at Galle town, he said, "The United National Party (UNP) would not agree to abandon the unitary state (of Sri Lanka)." On January 11, Wickremesinghe tabled in Parliament a report of experts on drafting a new Constitution.

Stressing that the new Constitution is still a long way ahead, the prime minister said, "We have no new constitution or even a draft". What was contained in the report was ideas from all parties, he said, adding, "Without two-thirds support in the constitutional assembly we cannot draft a new Constitution."

The Rajapaksa camp has also been accusing that the new Constitution will dilute the Buddhism's foremost position over other religions in the country. However, the prime minister emphasised that the foremost place given to the majority religion Buddhism has been preserved.

(With inputs from agencies.)