Rajapaksa warns Lankans of Constitution hatched by the West

Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today warned the public against a new Constitution formulated to satisfy the Western nations' wishes.
"These are constitutions made by foreign governments. People must take care to preserve the unitary nature of the country," Rajapaksa said while addressing a gathering at Galewela in the central province.
He said that at the last parliamentary election held in August, the Western nations conspired to divide his Freedom Party in order to ensure its defeat.
Rajapaksa's comments referred to the ongoing process to draft a new Constitution replacing the current executive president-headed constitution adopted in 1978. In the new Constitution, the Prime Minister will hold the supreme executive power.

His remarks came as the head of the public representations committee on constitutional reform Lal Wijenaike announced that the panel had finalised its report and will take it up with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Wijenaike's panel was taking public views regarding shaping up of the new Constitution.