The government had intended to bring in a new constitution to abolish the executive presidency and to introduce a new electoral system.

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on January 09 proposed to parliament that parliament be transformed into a constitutional council in order to facilitate the formulation of the new constitution.

The proposal was to be adopted by the House today (26), but it has now been put off for February at the request of president Maithripala Sirisena, according to the sources.

President Sirisena has told BBC that a decision would be taken in consideration of public views, as to whether a new constitution would be introduced or the existing one amended.

President agrees

Meanwhile, the Socialist People’s Front told the media in Colombo yesterday that the president was in the same stance of the joint opposition with regard to constitutional reforms.

Dew Gunasekara, Tissa Vitarana, Raja Collure and D.G.V. Tilakasiri addressed the occasion.

Answering a question as to why the president, who still had executive powers, would not make a declaration with regard to the constitutional crisis, they said nothing was being done properly due to the crisis situation as a result of the prime minister having the parliamentary majority.

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held a top level meeting yesterday afternoon at Temple Trees to discuss the constitutional matter, reports say.