Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera says that a referendum to seek the will of the people on a new Constitution is a risk worth taking. The minister made these remarks in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer.
“It was our fundamental promise to the people that we will present the third Republican Constitution for Sri Lanka, introducing further democratic changes, such as abolishing of the Executive Presidency. I think we owe it to the people of Sri Lanka,” the Minister said.
Drawing parallels, the Minister says that although events such as Brexit can colour a bad picture about referendums, the people will vote for a new consitution at the referendum, if they are properly educated on the benefits they will receive through it. “I am 100 per cent sure it is a winnable risk and that will also most probably mobilise the Rainbow Coalition which brought us into power in 2015.”
In the aftermath of successfully obtaining two more years to co-sponsor to implement UN resolution 34/1, despite attracting criticism by many, he says that it was a big achievement as a country and that they have managed to save Sri Lanka from a huge catastrophe. Had the earlier resolution being passed during the previous regime probably it would have been followed by economic sanctions against Sri Lanka by individual countries.
By now there would have been travel bans imposed against some of the leaders of the previous government,” the minister said.