Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has said a change in the country’s political ethics and political attitudes of leaders will be required before any constitutional reform is sought as it is likely that such reforms would not get passed in Parliament.
She made these comments on Feb. 25 during a scholarly discussion organized by the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) on ‘constitutional reform that strengthens democratic values in accordance with national aspirations’.
“How we are going to do that in this present situation where political parties are irresponsible, they do not think of the national interest, they think of what they can do at the next election, whether they can win or not. Even if they sabotage a very good program of an incumbent government they don’t care,” she said.
“So, I think first before anything else, well while doing, there are so many constitutional drafts. It will be very easy to put them together and draft something which is suitable for the present day. We will have to change the political ambiance, the political attitudes of the leaders. If not, it won’t be passed in parliament.”
“We will have to change the whole nature of parliament. The majority of people in parliament today refused the constitution or at least their party did. So, how they are going to do it now I don’t know,” the former president said.
