Constitution: 5 reports ready, 1 late

By Manjula Fernando

Five subcommittees out of the six delving into key areas of the new Constitution, have already submitted their final reports, an authoritative sources told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

He said the sub committee on Public Finance, headed by former Minister and economist Bandula Gunawardena is expected to submit its final report within this week.

Their mandate was to make recommendations on how the new Constitution should take shape in respect of the particular subject areas they were asked to review.

The sources said the sub committees on Judiciary, fundamental rights, centre periphery relations, public service and law and order have already submitted their reports to the steering committee.

“The committee members whose reports have come in are unanimous in their recommendations which is a good sign,” the sources added. The resolution which converted Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly says the Steering Committee is required to submit a report to the Constitutional Assembly, after considering the reports of the Sub-Committees and the Public Representations Committee. They are also expected to accompany this report with a Draft Constitution.

If this happens the Constitutional Assembly will debate the general merits and principles of the Report and the Draft Constitution, and also debate proposed amendments.

Meanwhile, the steering committee which is currently studying the electoral reforms have agreed on Proportional Representation with some elements of the First Past the Post system built into it. “We have agreed upon the broad contours of the new electoral system,” the sources said.

The discussions on basic principles of devolution have also begun and the question of merger or demerger of North and East provinces is to be taken up eventually, he added.