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New Constitution: ACMC backs PCs

10 Jan 2021

By Sarah Hannan Muslim political parties in Parliament have differed from the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) proposal for the new constitution, which consisted of replacing provincial councils (PCs) with regional councils and the decentralisation of power to allow equality in representation in local government bodies, it is learnt. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) shared their views regarding additional proposals they have made and seek to propose them to the experts committee drafting the new constitution. The SLMC, which represents the parliamentary Opposition as an ally of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has requested for an extension to submit their proposals to the experts committee appointed to draft a new constitution for the country. SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper, while refraining from commenting on TNA’s proposals regarding the same, told The Sunday Morning: “As the SLMC, we have our own proposals that we plan to make; especially the grassroots-level political activists have wanted to weigh in on the changes that should be made in the new constitution, but unfortunately, since certain areas were placed under lockdown, we could not complete our meeting with them to gather their suggestions.” Kariapper noted that those in electorates in the Eastern Province, affiliated to the SLMC, had been keen on contributing towards the new constitution, but that following the Covid-19 second wave as well as the lockdowns and isolation that ensued over the past month, they were unable to complete the drafting of their suggestions. “We have, therefore, requested for another month from the experts committee to allow us to send in our proposals and recommendations,” Kariapper explained. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the ACMC, which is another coalition party of the SJB, noted that they are very much in favour of continuing with the current PC system. When inquired about their thoughts on the TNA’s proposal to replace PCs with regional councils and to decentralise power to allow for equality in the periphery, ACMC Chairman MP Ameer Ali Seyed Mohammad Shihabdeen told The Sunday Morning: “The main concern they have is of holding power in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. However, the ACMC will be very much in favour of retaining the PC system in the new constitution. In addition to that, we have also submitted our own proposals. The contents of the proposal are too premature to be shared, as the experts committee drafting the new constitution will have to take our suggestions into consideration,” Shihabdeen noted. Political parties have been busy submitting their proposals to be included in the new constitution, while the experts committee appointed to draft the new constitution is in receipt of several proposals at present.


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