Sri Lankan PM rebuffs opposition charges of appeasing Tamils
The talks have been centered on a new election system, conferring powers to provincial councils
Colombo: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday rebuffed opposition's allegations that the new Constitution formation was aimed at appeasing the minority Tamils through a federal form of power sharing.
No draft document has been prepared and no finality on the proposed Constitution agreed so far, Wickremesinghe, who heads the steering committee, said.
The talks have been centered on a new election system, conferring powers to provincial councils. There was no dilution of the position currently conferred on the majority religion Buddhism. It will be the duty of the state to protect Buddhism, Wickremesinghe said in a statement.
The opposition which backs former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has accused that the move to formulate a new Constitution was aimed at creating a federal system of governance to appease the Tamil diaspora who, it alleges, aim to divide the country.
The Constitution-making process which was kicked-off in January is meant to introduce a new Constitution to replace the existing 1978 Constitution.
The Tamil minority groups have said that the Tamil grievances could only be addressed through a federal form of power sharing. The Sinhala majority fears a federal solution. They claim it would lead to a separation of the north and east from the island.