The electoral reforms, which envisage the replacement of the present Proportional Representation (PR) system by a mixture of the PR system and the First Past The Post (FPP) system, will also include safeguards to ensure fair representation for small parties and parties of the minority communities, Samaraweera said.
"We hope to arrive at a consensus on the reforms by next week, and push the 20 th Amendment before the end of the month," the minister said.
New Republican Constitution
Samaraweera further said that as per the Presidential election manifesto of Maithripala Sirisena, the present parliament would be dissolved to make way for a new parliament which will enact a new "Republican Constitution" - a Westminster style parliamentary system, to replace the present Presidential system.
Samaraweera said President Sirisena and the United National Party (UNP) with whose support he won the January 8 Lankan Presidential election, are committed to forming a "National Government" after the parliamentary elections in which the Prime Minister will be from the single largest party and the Deputy PM will be from the second largest party.
"This will bring about a political revolution in the country.It will be a Rainbow Revolution," he said.
Domestic Investigative
Samaraweera said that the government would be setting up, by September, a domestic mechanism to investigate human rights violations during the last phase of Eelam War IV as promised to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
"It is our bounden duty to investigate.Whether 40, 000 were killed or 10, 000, all those killed were Sri Lankans.We have to find out who all were killed, how many were killed and how," the minister said.
On the fate of the multi-billion dollar Chinese-funded projects put on hold on corruption charges, he said that as soon as the investigations are completed the Chinese would be informed about the decision taken to continue, discontinue or modify a project.
"The Chinese told us that they are okay with this," he said.
(newindianexpress.com)
