News

Government says no demand for merged North and East

10 Jul, 2017

The?Government says there is no demand for a merged North and East through the?new Constitution.

Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella said the process to draft a new Constitution has obtained the support of Parliament, including that of the minority political parties.

Some groups have raised concerns the new Constitution will result in the North and East being merged and divided from the South.

Kiriella however said the Tamil political parties have asserted they will not push for the division of the county or the merger of the North and East.

“For the first time all the parties in Parliament are trying to draft a new Constitution. We need a new Constitution which gives justice and equality to everybody,” he said.

The Minister said once the Constitution is drafted it will be put forward for a referendum to obtain the consent of the public.

Rural Economic Affairs Minister P. Harrison said that the new Constitution is still at a discussion stage.

He said that nothing has been finalised and when the draft is prepared it will be put before the leading Buddhist clergy in the country for their approval.

Harrison said the government has made it clear the new Constitution will protect Buddhism. (Colombo Gazette)

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