Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena must be commended for pledging to make constitutional changes to prevent the return of ethnic war that has taken a massive toll on the island nation.
Sirisena wants to bring about harmony among the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils who fought a bloody war between 1972 and 2009 that claimed more than 100,000 lives. The Tamils alleged they were discriminated against and that the Sinhalese were given the best opportunities. The bitter fight wreaked havoc on the country, politically and economically.
Sirisena marked his one year in office with a promise to introduce reforms in the statute. The new statute will be put to a referendum and Sirisena hopes to introduce it early next year. He has even said he will abolish the presidency and bring back parliamentary democracy.
Sirisena advocated reconciliation, a factor that helped bring him to power, and he has now kept his word. Making overtures alone sometimes does not solve deep-rooted issues. But when a law is crafted to ensure everyone is treated equally without discrimination, the results are positive. The two communities must also pull together and build bridges to ensure violence does not return to their land. The law can only do so much, but in the end it is up to the people. The picturesque country must build on this initiative to see lasting peace and prosperity.
