Critical void

A new opinion poll on constitutional reforms by Social Indicator, the research arm of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has highlighted the respondents lack of understanding of two critical words, 'federalism' and 'devolution', indicative of the constituency's lack of understanding of the critical needs that are to be addressed by a new constitution.

(assets.rappler.com)

According to its executive summary, when asked about the three key fundamental rights they believed should be included in the new constitution, 25.5% respondents said the freedom to live, while 15.3% said the freedom or right to practice any religion of their choice and 11.2% said, the right to education.

When asked what the word 'devolution' meant to them, 54.9% said they did not know while 8% said that it meant giving certain powers like infrastructure and police power to the Provincial Councils.

When asked about the word 'federalism,' almost 80% said that they did not know.

Some 35% did not know what 'unitary state' means while 23.9% said that it means being governed as one country or under a single State or governance system.

Preserving the unitary state

On the question of including the term 'unitary state' in the constitution, 30.7% said they are extremely favourable towards the inclusion while 28.5% said that they did not know. From the Sinhalese community, 36.2% are extremely favourable while almost 42% from the Tamil community said they are not.

The respondents were given a list of statements about religion and the constitution and were asked to select one that they agreed with the most.

Another 37.3% said that only Buddhism should be given a special place in the Sri Lankan Constitution, while assuring the freedom of religion to all others.

This view is shared by almost 50% from the Sinhalese community. 56.1% from the Tamil community, 39.3% from the Up Country Tamil community and 65.8% from the Muslim community, however, believe that the constitution should protect the freedom of religion as a fundamental right. Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution states that Buddhism shall be given 'the foremost place' and that it is the duty of the state to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.

54.9% are extremely favourable towards the inclusion of the clause on Buddhism in a new constitution while 18.2% are not at all in favour.

From an ethnic perspective, the community that is extremely favourable is the Sinhalese community with 70.4% rating extremely favourable. The majority from the Tamil (75.9%), Up Country Tamil (56.6%) and Muslim (62.8%) communities are not at all in favour.

When asked how they think police powers in Sri Lanka ought to be exercised, 41.2% said that it ought to be exercised exclusively by the Central Government while 23.6% said it should be shared between the Central and Provincial Governments.

Almost 50% from the Sinhalese community and 31.3% from the Up Country Tamil community believe that it should be exercised exclusively by the Central Government. Majority from the Tamil and Muslim communities however do not share this opinion - 31.8% from the Tamil community believe it should exercised exclusively by the Provincial Governments while 37.7% stated it should be shared between the Central and Provincial Governments. 34.1% from the Muslim community also stated that it should be shared.

Right to govern lands

For 15.2%, it is very important that police powers are devolved to the Provincial Councils while 17% say it is somewhat important to them. For 25.6%, it is very unimportant that police powers are devolved to the Provincial Councils.

In the Sinhalese community, 31% said that it is very unimportant to them that police powers are devolved to the Provincial Councils. Only 8.5% said that it is very important.

For the majority in the Tamil and Up Country Tamil community it is important that police powers are devolved to the Provincial Councils with 43.8% and 41% respectively saying very important.

On the power to allocate and administer State land, 37%, believe that the power should be held exclusively by the Central Government, 23.3% said exclusively by the Provincial Governments while 24% said, it should be shared between the two.

From an ethnic perspective, a difference in opinion was recorded again between the communities where most Sinhalese (42.4%) say that it should be held exclusively by the Central Government while 48.4% of Tamil, 38.6% of Up Country Tamil and 27.2% of Muslim communities believe that it should be held exclusively by the Provincial Councils.

Some 36.3% of Sri Lankans are extremely agreeable to replacing the Executive Presidency system with one where the country is headed by a directly elected Prime Minister, while 29.4% say that they are somewhat agreeable.

When asked how agreeable they are towards a merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, 30.1% said that they are extremely disagreeable while 25.4% said extremely agreeable.

The majority from the Tamil (73.2%) and Up Country Tamil (81%) communities are extremely agreeable towards a merger while 34.6% of Sinhalese are extremely disagreeable. Muslim opinion is divided on this, with 30.4% saying that they are extremely agreeable and 31% saying that they are extremely disagreeable.

The respondents were also asked about how favourable they were towards the inclusion of the exact term 'unitary state' in the Constitution. 30.7% of Sri Lankans say that they are extremely favourable towards the inclusion while 28.5% said that they did not know. From the Sinhalese community, 36.2% are extremely favourable while 6.7% from the Tamil community, 23.8% from the Up Country Tamil community and 18% from the Muslim community said the same. Almost 42% from the Tamil community said they are not at all in favour about the inclusion of the exact term 'unitary state' in the Constitution.

Unitary state

Article 9 of the present 1978 Constitution states that Buddhism shall be given 'the foremost place' and that it is the duty of the state to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. 54.9% of Sri Lankans are extremely favourable towards the inclusion of the clause on Buddhism in a new Constitution while 18.2% are not at all in favour. From the ethnic perspective, the community that is extremely favourable is the Sinhalese community with 70.4% rating 10 on the scale. Majority from the Tamil (75.9%), Up Country Tamil (56.6%) and Muslim (62.8%) communities are not at all in favour.

37.3% of Sri Lankans said that only Buddhism should be given a special place in Sri Lanka's Constitution, while assuring the freedom of religion to all others.

This view is shared by almost 50% from the Sinhalese community.

56.1% from the Tamil community, 39.3% from the Up Country Tamil community and 65.8% from the Muslim community, however, believe that the Constitution of Sri Lanka should protect the freedom of religion as a Fundamental Right. 35.7% from the Up Country Tamil community also believe that Sri Lanka's Constitution should have reference to all major religions in the country.

On the power to allocate and administer State land, 37% of Sri Lankans believe that the power should be held exclusively by the Central Government, 23.3% said exclusively by the Provincial Governments while 24% said it should be shared between the two.

From an ethnic perspective, we see a difference in opinion again between the communities where most Sinhalese (42.4%) say that it should be held exclusively by the Central Government while 48.4% of Tamil, 38.6% of Up Country Tamil and 27.2% of Muslim communities believe that it should be held exclusively by the Provincial Governments. 36.3% of Sri Lankans are extremely agreeable to replacing the Executive Presidency system with one where the country is headed by a directly elected Prime Minister, while 29.4% say that they are somewhat agreeable.

Agreement is high across the four main ethnic communities as well with 33.6% of Sinhalese, 51.8% of Tamil, 43.4% of Up Country Tamil and 36.2% of Muslim communities saying that they are extremely agreeable.