‘Sri Lanka not averse to constitutional changes’

Colombo: The Sri Lanka government on Thursday said it was not averse to changing the constitution in the aftermath of the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. "We have noted the building of public opinion on the need to change", Keheliya Rambukwella, the Minister of Information and Government told reporters. "This whole process (of impeachment) has generated several views. Many seek to strengthen parliament as well as the judiciary," Rambukwella added. Rambukwella said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had received legal views which may lead to constitutional changes. Rajapaksa, addressing lawyers immediately after sacking of Bandaranayake, admitted that there were inherent flaws in some of the constitutional provisions. The country`s first woman chief justice was removed after an ex parte trial which she claimed was biased and unfair. Parliament voted for her sacking despite the Supreme Court`s definition that the process was unconstitutional. Also, the Appeal Court had quashed the findings against Bandaranayake. PTI