"People reduced to powerlessness will want to regain their powers, those which should exist within a democracy rooted on a rule of law system," said the Hong Kong-based regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia.
The Asian Human Rights Commission said it hopes Sri Lankans would wish to see the abolition of the 1978 constitution.
Such a move, the AHRC said, would pave the way for many benefits for all the people, including "replacement of the rule of one man with the rule of law, (and) replacement of judiciary which is under the control of executive president with an independent judiciary functioning under the principle of separation of powers."
AHRC said the Attorney General’s department, which is under the control of the executive president, needs to be replaced with one that is independent and capable of performing its obligations as required under a rule of law system.
The policing system, which is now dysfunctional due the control of the executive president, must be replaced with one run under the command responsibility of the superior officers as required under the rule of law.
The AHRC said Sri Lanka should replace "all public institutions, such as civil service, election commissioner’s office and others which are presently tightly controlled by the executive president, with independent commissions as required by the rule of law."
It said the Commission against Corruption was "incompetent and helps to spread corruption", and must be replaced with an independent institution, with legal powers and resources.
"Such an institution should have no link to the police and inquiring officers should not be recruited from the police," the AHRC statement said."The staff of such an anti-corruption agency should solely belong to that agency and it should create opportunities for staff promotion and disciplinary control within itself."
AHRC said Sri Lanka should restore the capacity of the police to investigate crimes competently by removing the political obstructions of the their work and providing human and other resources.
Adequate funding should be given for all institutions, engaged in administration of justice, such Judiciary, Attorney Generals Department, Police and the Prisons to enable them to provide efficient and satisfactory services to community.
It also urged the government to remove special powers to such agencies as police Special Task Force and bring such institutions under the control of the higher command of the police.
All provinces should be brought under civilian police control and the military removed from performing civilian police functions, the human rights body said, referring to the heavy military presence in the north and east after the end of the 30-year ethnic war.
It also called for an "end (to) the surveillance, intimidation, murder and the causing of other harm to journalists" and removal of all obstacles to freedom of expression and publication, ensuring peoples’ right to information.
