Sri Lankan government proposes new constitution to devolve power

Sri Lanka’s new government on Saturday presented its plan for a new constitution aimed at devolving power and preventing the sort of ethnic tensions that led to a long and bitter civil war that ended in 2009.

The move comes as reformist President Maithripala Sirisena’s administration takes some steps to promote post-conflict reconciliation and address alleged war crimes committed during the 26-year conflict between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.

Sirisena, who unseated former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa in a bitterly contested poll last year, promised a new constitution to strengthen democracy and fundamental rights.

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According to the document presented to parliament on Saturday, the government intends to strengthen democratic rights, promote national reconciliation and establish a political culture that respects the rule of law.

The new constitution will also guarantee fundamental rights and freedoms that assure human dignity and promote responsible and accountable government, it said.

“The main idea is to devolve power to the grassroot level and strengthen democracy in order to prevent another war,” a ruling party legislator who is close to the president told Reuters, asking not to be named.