By unusuma.lk on (LK time)
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga asserts that a transformation in the nation’s political climate and leaders’ perspectives is essential before any constitutional amendment, as it is unlikely to pass in parliament.
She expressed these views today (26) during an intellectual discussion hosted by the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) on ‘constitutional reform that upholds democratic principles in line with national goals.’
“How can we achieve this in the current scenario where political groups act irresponsibly, ignoring national priorities? They only focus on what benefits them in upcoming elections, whether they can secure victory or not. Even if they obstruct a highly beneficial initiative by the ruling government, they remain indifferent,” she stated.
The former president emphasized that, above all, the political culture must evolve. “Certainly, the ‘Aragalaya’ initiated that transformation. The core message of the ‘Aragalaya,’ its immensely strong statement, appears to be something traditional parties have still failed to grasp. They neither wish to acknowledge it nor comprehend that people are frustrated and fed up with the prevailing structures. It’s not merely the constitution, but the entire system in place.”
She added that efforts were made to eliminate the executive presidency, but they proved unsuccessful. “A dedicated chapter was created specifically for it, detailing the abolition of the executive presidency, yet everything was discarded in parliament.”
“So, I believe before anything else—while working on it—since multiple constitutional drafts already exist, merging them into a suitable modern framework would be straightforward. However, we must first alter the political climate and the mindset of leaders; otherwise, it will never pass in parliament.”
“We also need to reshape the entire nature of parliament. The majority of MPs today rejected the constitution, or at least their political factions did. So, how they plan to achieve this now is beyond me,” she concluded.
