All-party conference should be more than a talk shop

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on all political parties to come to a common agreement to provide a solution to the ethnic problem before the 75th anniversary of Independence that falls in February 2023. He expressed these sentiments at an all-party conference convened with the aim of finding a solution to the ethnic problem that has plagued the country for over eight decades. 

Opening the conference the President said, “We must all come together to solve the problem in this country. Whether it is called an ethnic problem or something else is not important. We want to provide solutions to these problems. All the political parties came together to find a solution for this and reach an agreement in the parliament.”

This is indeed a welcome initiative by the President. However, history will judge him on the outcome of this effort rather than the rhetoric. Each leader since J.R. Jayewardene has convened “all-party conferences” to discuss the ethnic issue, some were more committed than others to resolve the issue, but none were able to deliver a durable solution that addresses the aspirations of all communities living in the country. In order to prevent the current exercise from becoming yet another talk shop that may be intended to appease foreign entities than local communities, the President and his Government must demonstrate commitment and a genuine desire to address outstanding issues.

Whatever President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s previous credentials vis à vie the ethnic issue may be, there is no denying that he is now holding the highest office in the land on the back of support extended by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. The SLPP has never been a proponent of the rights of minority communities, devolution, or attempted to deviate from its ethnic-nationalist base. A vast majority of its members have dabbled in race-baiting, jingoism, and divisive politics for years. While in the opposition during 2015-2019 these individuals opposed every move made towards reconciliation, be it the establishment of the Office on Missing Persons, the Office for Reparations, the ratification of the International Convention against Enforced Disappearances, or amendments to the draconian anti-terror laws that have been disproportionately used against minorities. The current Minister of Justice, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who will have a key role to play in any constitutional and legislative initiatives, was at the forefront of scuttling the transitional justice process that was spearheaded by former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera as part of Sri Lanka’s international commitments.

These are now the political representatives and party leaders that President Wickremesinghe is expected to carry with him in order to deliver a meaningful solution to the ethnic problem. It is a tall order and the past record of Wickremesinghe is not encouraging enough. While there is ample space for scepticism it is also necessary to seize even the minutest opportunities to resolve the national question and create an inclusive governance structure that would satisfy the aspirations of all communities.

In this regard, President Wickremesinghe has an excellent opportunity to revive the constitutional proposals that were presented during his previous tenure as prime minister in 2018. Rather than having numerous rounds of ‘all party conferences’ which have been nothing but talk shops since the 1980s the President can boldly introduce a new constitution based on the 2018 draft that was formulated after significant consultations, debates, and inputs from numerous constitutional experts. If such action is not forthcoming this exercise has to be seen for what it is, a worthless eyewash and yet another lost opportunity to address a historical wrong.