Parliamentarian Athuraliye Rathana There said there was no mandate for a new constitution. 

"There is no mandate for a constitutional amendment without a referendum. Any change has to be endorsed by the public. That is clearly mentioned in President Sirisena's election manifesto," Rathana Thera, a key architect of President Maithripala Sirisena's election campaign in January 2015, said. 

"I am the first person to hold a discussion to make Maithripala Sirisena the common candidate of the opposition." 

"President Sirisena would not have toppled the Rajapaksa government without the support he received from a group of SLFPers. The NGOS activists who are vociferous now didn't have strength to topple the Rajapaksa government. The real strength came from the SLFP group supporting President," he added. 

The Parliamentarian said the same NGO group is dominating the committees to amend the Constitution.