Describing President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s discussions with Parliamentarians representing the Tamil and Muslim communities regarding the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as a ‘shameful act’, Opposition MP Gevindu Cumaratunga said that at least all MPs representing the Northern and Eastern Provinces should be made to participate in the related discussions.
Wickremesinghe, who came to power following the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, pledged that he would implement the 13th Amendment, and work to resolve other issues faced by the people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He has since had several discussions with Tamil MPs on the matter.
Speaking during the Parliamentary session which was also attended by the President yesterday (9), Cumaratunga said that they are ashamed of Wickremesinghe selecting MPs for related discussions on an ethnic basis. “We are totally ashamed of you (President) working on an ethnic basis and selecting only Tamil MPs for these discussions. Going beyond, you also said that you would have another meeting with Muslim MPs. Instead of doing so, you should at least invite all MPs from these Provinces to the discussions.”
Cumaratunga’s remarks come in the wake of even the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stating that they would not endorse moves to decentralise power based on nationalities, religions or languages. SLPP General Secretary and MP, attorney Sagara Kariyawasam said that they were not against the devolution of power, but that the decentralising of power should not be aimed at the progress of a particular community. He also said that in addition to politicians, President Wickremesinghe should also have discussions with all the other relevant parties such as religious leaders including Buddhist monks and civil organisations on the matter.
On 29 July 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was signed between the then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene which stated the devolution of powers to the Provinces. On 14 November 1987, the Parliament passed the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Councils (PCs) Act, No. 42 of 1987 to establish PCs.
Wickremesinghe on 18 July assured a group of Tamil MPs that the 13th Amendment would be fully implemented, without Police powers, in the PCs.