New constitution with simple majority - President

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 August 2000, 18:23 GMT]
New Parliament will be converted into a Constituent Assembly and the new constitution bill would be passed with a simple majority, declared President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. The President said that the new Constitution Bill would be approved after the next general election, and added that she was optimistic that the new Constitution will be implemented before January next year.

In an interview with State-run Rupavahini Television Friday, President Chandrika said that the government has the capability to approve the new constitution, even without two-third majority. "The mandate we received in the past election would be used to this effect," she said.

According to the mandate the new constitution would be approved in the parliament with a simple majority and thereafter it would be implemented with the approval of the people through a referendum. She has already obtained advice from internationally recognised constitutional experts in this regard, the President told the interviewer.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge added that the new parliament would be converted into a Constituent Assembly for a short period after the general election and thereafter the new constitution would be approved.

The President also said that the government knew that the United National Party and as well as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would oppose the new constitution.

Related Articles:
08.08.00   Conspiracy theory as vote adjourned
08.08.00   Government abandons constitution bill
07.08.00   Numbers game worries PA