SLFP says no room for hybrid court

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday insisted there would be no space for an international mechanism or a hybrid court in Sri Lanka for war crimes investigations. 

SLFP Vice Chairman and Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S.B. Dissanayake stressed that the Government would never allow foreign judges to handle the country’s judicial system. 

“The Government will defiantly establish a domestic investigation mechanism with local judges and lawyers in order to hold an impartial inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity. Foreign experts will be invited if really needed. However the final action would be taken according to the Constitution,” he said.

“We will conduct an inquiry expecting to prove Sri Lanka’s blamelessness, pay compensation for disabled and disturbed war heroes, facilitate war refugees and block ways which can be cause for another war. We will strengthen the country’s sovereignty,” Dissanayake further said.

Criticising the foreign policy of the past regime, the Minister alleged it was the reason former President Mahinda Rajapaksa called a presidential election two years before his term ended.

“The ex-President wanted to go before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with a majority, but failed. Sri Lanka messed up its international relations due to his unprofessional foreign policy. His view on the UN is still the same and that is why he was defeated,” he charged.

Meanwhile, Skills Development and Vocational Training Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that President Maithripala Sirisena had gained the highest respect via his address at the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. 

“President Sirisena was invited for the UN country heads dinner’s main table and he sat with the world’s most powerful political leaders. He used the opportunity to describe Sri Lanka’s future plans on human rights conservation and the leaders used the chance to ask questions from the President regarding current issues,” Samarasinghe stated.

“He conducted a number of discussions with the US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry. The President met some other Government officials and explained the investment opportunities of Sri Lanka and invited them to invest. We believe those discussions will provide positive feedback,” Samarasinghe noted.

He also said that the SLFP would like to appreciate Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s support. “The Premier and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera put their fullest effort into obtaining this winning situation in the country’s interest. We all worked together under a well-established National Government,” he expressed. Samarasinghe revealed that the completed report of the Maxwell Paranagama Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons would be tabled by the end of the month.

“Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has said that he will present the Paranagama report to Parliament. We believe it provide further proof of our innocence,” Samarasinghe stated.