Mahinda says new draft constitution will be presented to Parliament

                                      

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told Parliament that the new draft constitution would be presented to the House shortly for discussion.

He made this statement while participating in the committee stage budget debate on the Expenditure Heads of the President’s, the Prime Minister’s Office and other institutions.

The Prime Minister pointed out that a new draft constitution was being prepared and that there was nothing going on in secret.

“We talked about the Constitution, and we are now preparing a draft. I remind you that it will be presented to the Members of Parliament and it will be discussed. Therefore, I would like to remind you that we will not do anything in secret about this,” he said.

Speaking during the debate, the Premier said that in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government took the initiative to protect the people.

“We need to remind you that as a government, we have taken all necessary decisions for the safety of the people in a timely manner. I say this to remind you of the role that the Prime Minister’s Office played in managing those affairs.

“At the outset of the COVID epidemic, our Government appointed a Presidential Task Force for essential services. The Presidential Task Force worked under our supervision from the Prime Minister’s Office,” the Premier added, reminding that the Prime Minister’s Office works 24 hours a day to provide essential services to the people and to solve the problems of the people.

“We also exchanged views with party leaders. We have always intervened to provide essential services and health facilities to the people. The doctors and the security forces did their duty.” 

The Prime Minister said that the recession caused by the COVID pandemic had severely affected the country. Most businesses have collapsed, and the Government is now planning to rebuild the economy, he added.

“Accordingly, the Minister of Finance presented a budget this time including short-term and long-term plans. The country needs the economic and social development of the people. Our hope is to build an economy where they can thrive in this difficult time.”

The Prime Minister said the Government was ready to listen to the positive views of the Opposition. “We listen to the positive views of the Opposition. At this time, we must collectively make decisions for the future of the country. All members of this supreme Parliament have the ability to fulfil that duty on behalf of the people.”

He further told the House that the Government would not charge any registration fee for entrepreneurs registering new businesses for 2022 and invited the youth of the country to join hands to build the economy of the country with new business ideas and also contribute to bringing foreign exchange to the country.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa said fulfilling the promises given to the people, the Government was working to resolve the teacher-principal salary anomaly that had not been resolved for nearly 25 years, via this budget. This time the highest amount of money has been allocated for education in this budget, he claimed.

“We are doing all this for the future of the country. We hope that all of you will support our efforts to rebuild the country in the face of challenges.”