Author: TELO Admin

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) noted that it, as a party, is pro-devolution, but that power should be devolved to the people for the economic development of their locales, and not for the purpose of, nor based on, their ethnicity or religion.

Speaking to The Morning, SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam emphasised yesterday (29) that his party has always been pro-devolution, but that the said devolution should be provided for development, and not for ethnicity or religion-based purposes.

“We have always been a party that is pro-devolution. What we say is that devolution should be given to the people for their development. The units have to be identified not based on their ethnicity or their religion, but based on the economic development of their areas,” he added.

When queried by The Morning as to whether his party would support 13-plus (a reference to going beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in terms of the devolution of power) as agreed to by MP Mahinda Rajapaksa in Parliament last week, Kariyawasam noted: “If President Ranil Wickremesinghe invites us, we will certainly be participating. Former President Rajapaksa is the party leader. He will not say anything against the party’s stance.

“The party has still not met on this. We have to meet on this and have a discussion once we receive an invitation from the President. As a party, our stance has been even when we were in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, to support devolution. We are the party that has always said that devolution should carry forward until the lowest unit. Devolution should be there and it should go to the grassroots level, not to a particular ethnic or religious group. We have been very clear about that right from the beginning.”

Kariyawasam also said that each Local Authority consists of small electoral units and that power should be given even to such units.

“If somebody is trying to devolve power based on the language that they speak or the religion that they practice, that is something that has never been done anywhere in the world. Such may lead to economic or social development, but will alos create more problems,” he added.

When queried regarding the SLPP’s stance on the Police and land powers being devolved under the already existing 13th Amendment to the Constitution, he added: “That has to be discussed very deeply. The situation varies. Earlier, we were a country where a separatist group waged war against the Government to divide the country. In such a situation, it cannot be condoned. But currently, we have to assess and analyse the present situation in order to make a decision.”

Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance and certain other Tamil political parties aligned with similar political ideas had taken up the stance that a federalism-based solution to the national ethnic issue would be suitable through a new Constitution.

Accordingly, President Wickremesinghe last week invited all political parties in the Parliament for discussions to solve the ethnic issue following the Budget.

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), a polls monitor, will file two Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions at the Supreme Court (SC) against the relevant authorities for not holding the Provincial Council (PC) elections, and for not declaring the Local Government (LG) election within the required timeframe.

Speaking to The Morning on Tuesday (29), PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi noted that the fundamental rights of the people are being infringed when both the said elections are not held or declared within the required time period.

“When it comes to the LG election, it seems like it will not be declared on time, while the PC elections have not been held for the past three years now. Therefore, we have decided to take legal action within the next two weeks,” he added.

He further noted that even though the United National Front-led “yahapalana” (good governance) Government initially brought about an amendment on the women’s quota for nomination with a two-page document, when the Bill reached the second reading stage, it had increased up to 32 pages, with a completely new electoral system that the Delimitation Commission had to complete, which, however, it did not. Even the relevant Minister at that time did not agree with these delimitation-based amendments.

“The current Government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the third government that came to power after the ‘yahapalana’ Government. So far, all of the politicians have failed to proceed with the PC elections. They had to complete the delimitation and reverse the previous electoral system. That is why we have decided to file a FR petition for the PCs elections as well. There is evidently no preparation and intention to hold elections. Some PCs’ terms expired five years ago, while others expired three years ago. There are no elected representatives; they are operated by the President’s representatives,” he added.

Meanwhile, PAFFREL wrote to the Election Commission (EC) on Monday (28 November) claiming that it is unnecessary to seek the Attorney General’s (AG) opinion with regard to whether the EC can declare the conduct of the LG poll following the enactment of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution which holds that the EC should be reconstituted, but also provides for transitional provisions to be operative in the interim period, and pointed out that EC Chairmen in the past have held elections in such interim and transitional periods. Hettiarachchi queried as to why incumbent EC Chairman Nimal Punchihewa cannot hold elections when former EC Chairmen Dayananda Dissanayake and Mahinda Deshapriya had held major elections in the past during such periods.

Also, the EC stated on Tuesday that while it had received the legal advice sought from the AG’s Department on whether it has the power to declare the LG election following the adoption of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, it is however not in a position to reveal the advice received, noting that a decision will be taken following internal discussions. Speaking to The Morning, Punchihewa emphasised that although the EC had sought advice from the AG’s Department, the advice received cannot be revealed even under the Right to Information Act, while adding that the EC would hold internal discussions to make the relevant decisions.

He also told The Morning earlier that a declaration regarding the date of the LG election will be made by the EC, in early next year (2023). He noted: “Our expectation is to hold the LG election before 20 March 2023.”

The President’s Media Division (PMD) today rejected the media reports claiming the President is planning to establish District Development Committees instead of Provincial Councils.

Recent media reports attributing a quote to the President stating that the Provincial Councils will be replaced with the District Development Committees is incorrect, the PMD said.

Issuing a statement, the PMD said President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s response in Parliament yesterday (29) has been reported by several media in such a way that the meaning is distorted.

During the ongoing Parliamentary budget debate responding to a statement by MP Maithripala Sirisena the President stated that the District Development Committees (DDCs) will be established within the Provincial Councils. The DDCs will provide a platform for coordination between the Government, the Provincial Councils and the Local Governments for all executive decisions. This will ensure the process is not duplicated and will reduce financial wastage.

Apart from that, the President has not made any statement about the dissolution of provincial councils, the PMD stressed.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks about a dialogue to resolve the national question, but at the same time orders the military’s acquisition of lands owned by the Tamils, charges Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam.

The president has invited Tamil parties for talks that are expected next month.

MP Ponnambalam questioned if Tamils could expect solutions from a racist, Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist regime.

He also said public life and the economy would continue to slide under the present administration in the absence of rule of law and justice.

A seminar to mark the advent of the Supreme Lanka Council in Nuwara Eliya yesterday (27) came under attack hours before it was due to begin.

In the early hours of the morning, a group had come to the venue and destroyed the display boards for the event.

Organisers lodged a complaint with Hanguranketha police which accuses the SJB organiser for the area Jayalath Dissanayake, who is also the brother of SLPP MP S.B. Dissanayake, of being responsible.

Despite the incident, the SLC held the meeting with its chairman Wimal Weerawansa presiding.