Referendum will determine new Constitution

A referendum will be held to decide on the final proposals to the new Constitution, Minister for National Dialogue Mano Ganesan said.

The Minister, who is part of a steering committee tasked with drafting a new constitution, told The Sunday Leader that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had proposed that the public be allowed to decide on the way forward.

A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was recently formed to draft the new Constitution.

The committee comprises Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Lakshman Kiriella, Rauff Hakeem, Susil Premajayantha, Rishad Bathiyutheen, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, D.M. Swaminathan, Mano Ganesan, and Malik Samarawickrama.

Ganesan said that the Cabinet sub-committee, or steering committee, had decided to form three technical committees to make proposals on constitutional amendments.

One technical committee will draft electoral reforms proposals, the other amendments to the Presidential system and one on the national issue.

The technical committee on electoral reforms has already been formed and is being headed by Parliamentarian and constitutional expert Jayampathy Wickremeratne. (Colombo Gazette)