News
AKD pledges new constitution, provincial polls, commission on discrimination
ECONOMYNEXT —A National People’s Power (NPP) government will hold a referendum on a new constitution, hold the delayed provincial council and local government polls within a year, and appoint a commission to investigate discrimination, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.
Speaking at a rally in Jaffna on Thursday September 05, Dissanayake said an NPP administration will draft a new constitution on the premise of equality, democracy and participatory governance as one country, picking up where the 2015-2019 administration left off.
“A lot of southern politicians try to make deals with the people of north. They say ‘Vote for us; we’ll give you the 13th amendment or 13 or land powers’. How long have they been doing this? I’m not here for that. If I came to make a deal with you, you might say 13 is not enough, give us plus. My first intention is to build a government that has won the confidence of both the north and the south,” he said.
“Governments in our country were formed against the ‘other’. Governments in the south were formed against the north. Sinhala governments were formed against Tamil people. My first objective is to change this politics of opposition to the other,” he added.
Dissanayake said that there has been a need for a new constitution in Sri Lanka for a long time.
“In 2000 a new constitution was drafted. Ranil Wickremesinghe and co set fire to it in parliament and put an end to that. There was conversation again about the constitution between 2015 and 2019, but there was no conclusion,” he said.
The NPP leader said the NPP plans to “rapidly conclude the process that began in 2015-2019” and draft a new constitution based on equality and democracy and where everyone can participate in governance as one country. The draft constitution will seek to “devolve power politically and administratively to every local government body, district and province and guarantee the political participation of every ethnicity”.
“We have presented a proposal for a new constitution. A summary of that proposal has been given to you. We will get this constitution approved at a referendum in a very short time and make it Sri Lanka’s main law,” he said.
Dissanayake noted that provincial council elections haven’t been held in six years and local govt elections have been delayed by two years.
“These elections which have been postponed indefinitely will be held within a year and people’s opportunity to participate in governance will be affirmed,” he said.
An NPP government will also appoint a commission empowered to take legal action against discrimination, he said.
“There are Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in this country. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims. There are those who speak Sinhala and Tamil languages. There’s a diverse set of communities. Until racism is completely ended, there is a danger of some uncertainties among these groups, of being discriminated against. We will appoint a commission that has the power to take legal action against discrimination. People can complain to this commission of any instances of discrimination,” he said.
Claiming that an NPP victory at the September 21 presidential election is a sure thing, Dissanayake urged Tamils in the north to be a part of that victory and not to stand in opposition to it.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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