Draft of new Constitution before House within a year: Sabry

• Says new Constitution will be one all citizens can be proud of
• Aims to bring Constitution that embraces diversity, is inclusive, forward looking, and serves as catalyst to national unity

Justice Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament on Thursday that the Government would present the draft for a new Constitution to the House within a year.

Winding up the debate on the second reading of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill, Sabry said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a nine-member expert committee, headed by Romesh De Silva PC, to draft a new Constitution.

“We will also allow a representative from the estate workers community in the hill country to this committee of experts. We have appointed experts from all walks of life into this committee. Every citizen shall be proud of this new Constitution, one that will strengthen the Sri Lankan identity. Such a Constitution will turn a new leaf in our country’s progress,” Sabry said.

He added that the country cannot develop by merely establishing some fake commissions.

“We are dedicated to bring in a new Constitution within a year’s time. Our attempt is to bring in a Constitution which will embrace diversity among our people, give the foremost place to Buddhism, respect each other’s religious beliefs and cultural values, and create a long lasting Constitution which is inclusive, forward looking and will serve as a catalyst for national unity, amity, progress and accelerate the economic growth of our country.”

Sabry said that while our national anthem says we should live as children of one mother, for the past seven decades, people have not been able to live in harmony. “There is a saying: ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. When we fall, we fall together, irrespective of our race and religion; we will be dragging each other down. There are two strong bonds that bind all of us together, one is humanity, second is our nationality,” he said.