New Constitution by November: FM

29 August 2016 01:14 pm

The new draft Constitution could be presented in Parliament before the next budget which would be announced by mid-November this year, Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera has said while hoping that it will celebrate the country’s diversity.

“We hope to be able to present that [Constitution] in parliament before the next budget,” Mr. Samaraweera said while addressing a gathering in Point Pedro in the Northern Province on Sunday.

The 2017 government budget is expected to be presented in Parliament mid-November.

According to PTI, the minister has said it was important to recognise the religious diversity in Sri Lanka in formulating the new Constitution.

“We have been busy creating or placing a foundation for a new Sri Lanka. Based on the three pillars of democratisation, reconciliation and development,” the Minister said.

The process of finalising the new Constitution is underway and it will hopefully celebrate the diversity of the country, he said.

Mr. Samaraweera said, it is time to come to terms with the fact that Sri Lanka is a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual country.