Opposition reminds Govt. of commitments to devolution
Thursday, 22 August 2013 00:58
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UNP tables White Paper on all recommendations made by commissions and committees appointed to go into resolution of the national question
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Lobby Correspondent
The main opposition United National Party yesterday proposed a White Paper setting out detailed proposals made by commissions and committees set up to recommend political solutions to the country’s ethnic question.
The White Paper comes even as the Opposition has decided to boycott the Government’s latest Parliamentary Select Committee on constitutional reform that will make recommendations on revisions to the 13th Amendment among other things.
Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga who addressed the Parliament in brief yesterday ahead of a comprehensive statement soon from the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe reminded the Government of a joint statement issued by the UN Secretary General and the Government of Sri Lanka in 2009, where the ruling regime committed itself agreed that addressing the aspirations and grievances of all communities and working towards a lasting political solution was fundamental to ensuring long-term socioeconomic development.
“President Rajapaksa expressed his firm resolve to proceed with the implementation of the 13th Amendment, to begin a broader dialogue with all parties, including the Tamil parties in the new circumstances, to further enhance this process and to bring about lasting peace and development in Sri Lanka,” Amaratunga said, quoting from the statement.
He added that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) made several recommendations pertaining to the solution of the ethnic problem and related matters.
“In the teeth of this was the undertaking to expand the scope of the 13th Amendment and repeal of the 18th Amendment which did away with the independent commissions in respect of such vital areas as the Judiciary, police, public service, elections and so on,” he explained.
Amaratunga said that the Government had failed both in respect of recommendations of the LLRC and its undertakings as set out in the Joint Statement with the UN Secretary-General.
He said that despite this, the Leader of the Opposition wrote to the President on 12 June seeking an appointment to discuss among other things, the restoration of the 17th Amendment, the implementation of the LLRC Report and the appointing of Commonwealth Observers prior to the elections. “The President is yet to respond to this letter,” Amaratunga said.
