Colombo: A revived debate in Sri Lanka on devolution package for the Tamils appears to have run into rough weather with the main opposition party, the UNP, accusing the government of “dilatory tactics”.
Charging President Mahinda Rajapaksa of changing stance on the 13th amendment, the UNP asked the government to come clean on its intended political solution.
“It is the government’s duty to tell the country their intended political solution. They make statements about the 13th amendment and then fall back on the parliamentary select committee proposal. All these are dilatory tactics,” Tissa Attanayake, the United National Party (UNP) general secretary told reporters.
To which Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, the acting government spokesman responded by saying, “Who caused the delay?, it is the opposition. We have invited them to name their representatives to the select committee. They are not doing that.”
The debate has been revived since the conclusion of a visit by the Indian parliamentary delegation led by the Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj.
The Indian parliamentary delegation had urged expeditious settlement of the political impasse with the Tamil minority.
Swaraj claimed that president Rajapaksa had once again pledged to grant “the thirteen plus”– the full powers to provincial councils in terms of India initiated thirteenth amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, as a solution.
Yet the government favoured media institution stories seemed to contend otherwise since the visit. Attanayake said that talks with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) must resume and they be asked to enter the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) process, a point stressed by the Indian parliamentary delegation.
“When we invited all political parties (to be part of PSC) the TNA is included. If they are concerned about the Tamils as they claim to be, they must enter the PSC process.
The opposition parties have the opportunity to tell the government their solution and in turn ask for the government’s own. They are not using this opportunity,” Abeywardena stressed.
He added that recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report had also been implemented.
“They must recognise that government had already done some work on the LLRC –-resettlement, infrastructure development and livelihood issues already implemented.”
The Indian delegation also stressed on the LLRC implementation which formed the core of the anti-Sri Lanka resolution adopted at the UN Human Rights Council sessions in March.
The resolution supported by India to Sri Lanka’s surprise called for early implementation of the LLRC recommendation with emphasis on accountability on human rights abuse allegations. (PTI)
