A number of requests have been received asking to facilitate the video conference technology for Sri Lankans living overseas to submit their proposals on the making of the new Constitution, Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms chairman Lal Wijenaike said.
"This request has been informed to the Prime Minister's Office," he said addressing a press conference at Visumpaya, Colombo yesterday.
Wijenaike said if necessary facilities are provided, the Committee was willing to listen to the views of Sri Lankans living abroad.
He said the Committee has so far received over 2,000 submissions from the public on Constitutional reforms and governance issues.
"We have completed public sittings in 13 out of 25 districts and collected over 1,170 oral submissions. In addition, we have received 462 email submissions, 350 written submissions, 92 fax messages, 37 submissions from social media and 46 telephone calls," Wijenaike said. The chairman said all forms of written submissions and telephone calls are accepted until March 10.
He said the Committee has decided to hold a second round of public sittings in Colombo from March 3-5 due to an overwhelming response from the public.
He said it would consider holding another round of public sittings in several other selected districts as well.
Wijenaike said the Committee hopes to meet with the associations of professionals, constitutional experts, political leaders, intellectuals, religious leaders and civil society members in March. The final report is to be submitted by the end of April with the recommendations of the Committee to the Constitutional Drafting Cabinet Sub-Committee. "We have received a range of suggestions from people belonging to various strata of society. Ordinary people including farmers, labourers, students and fishermen etc were also among them," he said. Themiya Hurulle invited the public to forward their proposals via website
www.yourconstitution.lk, adding that the social media links of the Committee are also provided in it.
He said the staff of the committee hopes to engage in a wider discussion with social media users in the near future.
"We have also observed numerous paper articles on the subject by various individuals in the form of 'Letters to the Editor' and we hope to incorporate these views as well," he added. Sirimasiri Hapuarachchi said among the proposals extended so far, the need for an independent commission for media, empowering of Human Rights Commission, women issues, reconciliation and the weaknesses in the public service have been emphasised.
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