HRC to play key role in Constitution-making

by Manjula Fernando

The Human Rights Commission is expected to play a major role in the Constitution-making process, to ensure the new Constitution will not be like the two former ‘Violent Constitutions’.

Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr.Deepika Udagama said, “One could safely say, the past two Republican Constitutions were violent Constitutions as they created problems, which caused division among citizens, heightened suspicion and the necessity to contest each other”.

“Sri Lanka has taken Constitution-making very lightly in the past”, she said adding the Commission wants to ensure the on-going process is participatory and transparent.

The HRC will refrain from taking up any official post in the process but will actively take part by providing ideas and standards in keeping with their advisory and monitoring role.

“The irony is that both Republican Constitutions were drafted with very little consultation with the people,” Dr.Udagama opined.

He added that a good Constitution should bring communities together and assure people they are being taken care of. She said the HRC, under the new Commissioners has decided to take their suo moto powers seriously and initiate inquiries on their own. “There are burning issues that never reach us due to various reasons, we want to address them.” She explained that to identify these hidden issues and the root causes, the HRC will soon set up a research unit to do empirical research, to look at various human rights phenomena that need to be addressed.

They have decided to expand their scope from civil and political rights to economic, social and cultural rights issues as well and partner with civil society groups to overcome logistical issues that weigh them down at present.