Sri Lankan president commences constitutional reforms

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has commenced constitutional reforms by presiding overthe first round of discussions on the matter, the official Daily News said on Tuesday.

Attended by her close advisors and legal consultants, PresidentKumaratunga had a three-hour preliminary round of discussions on the proposed constitutional reforms at the President's House on Friday.

Kumaratunga is due to meet the newly elected political leaders and constituent party representatives shortly to discuss the political process of effecting constitutional reforms.

Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in its manifesto publicized in the campaign for the April 2 parliamentaryelections sought the people's mandate to formulate and promulgate a new constitution since the 1978 constitution had caused problemsfor effective governance.

The UPFA manifesto also pointed out that the new constitution will be placed before the people at a referendum before enactment.

Under the current constitution, Kumaratunga was forced to have an uneasy cohabitation with former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is from rival Untied National Party (UNP) afterhis party won the December 2001 parliamentary elections.

Kumaratunga was at odds with Wickremesinghe over almost all state matters, the Norwegian-brokered peace process in particular.

She accused Wickremesinghe of giving too many concessions to the Tamil Tiger rebels in the peace process.

Kumaratunga's UPFA defeated Wickremesinghe's UNP in the April 2parliamentary elections and vowed to enact a new constitution which will abolish the current executive presidency and introduce new electoral system.

Source: Xinhua