The National Unity Government which includes the United National Party (UNP) will meet the main opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Thursday to discuss the proposed constitutional reforms, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe informed the Maha Sanga yesterday.

He told a large group of prominent Buddhist monks at Temple Trees last afternoon that the Constitutional Reforms Bill will be presented in Parliament as soon as possible.  

The Prime Minister assured that several other laws pertaining to the safeguarding of Buddhism would also be presented in the House within the one-hundred day programme and said a Secretariat to Investigate Corruption and Fraud would be set up shortly.

The Prime Minister who admitted to some shortcomings with regard to the 100-day programme and the speed it was moving at said the new government had only a few days to study the reforms and to bring those accused of corruption to book.

 He said the new Government was able to start work only on January 15 though it assumed office on January 8 because of the Pope’s visit two more weeks would be lost in April because of the National New Year.

“In such a scenario we need 25-hour days instead 24-hour days to attend to our work,” he said in lighter vein.  

Buddha Sasana, Public Administration and Provincial Councils Minister Karu Jayasuriya said Amendments to the Buddhist Temporalities Act, and the legislation to establish a Sangha Adikaranaya (Buddhist Ecclesiastical Court) and another Bill on the construction of places of worship will be presented to the House within the 100-day programme. (Yohan Perera)




Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana