Notwithstanding Indian concerns, Sri Lanka may go ahead with dilution of 13th amendment

Sun Jul 07 2013,

Overruling India's concerns, Sri Lanka may go ahead with its proposed plans to amend the 13th amendment ahead of the provincial polls in Tamil-dominated northern areas in September, a top minister has hinted. Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Economic Development Minister, who returned here from New Delhi after talks with Indian leaders, was non-committal about any conditions that New Delhi might have pushed for. "When we bring in a Bill we wouldn't normally retract. We will go back only if the people wanted us to go back. There are examples when we have done so on people's will", he told reporters when asked about India's concerns.

However, Basil strictly refused to say whether the Indian Government insists on Sri Lanka consulting it before changing the 13th Amendment. He maintained, instead, that some things must necessarily remain secret as they would be between "husband and wife", the Sunday Times reported. As per the 13th amendment that followed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of July 1987, Sri Lankan government had agreed to devolve some authority to the provinces. India has emphasised to Sri Lanka the need to fully implement the constitutional provision dealing with devolution of powers to provinces without dilution and to go beyond it to ensure meaningful development there to Rajapaksa.

During a meeting on Thursday in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid conveyed India's concerns on the 13th amendment and urged Basil not to do anything to dilute its provisions. However, Sri Lanka has made it clear that they want to dilute the police and land powers for the nine provincial councils. The move comes ahead of the September's northern provincial council polls where the main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), stands a good chance of victory. Asked about his talks in New Delhi Basil, speaking in Sinhala, said, "It was a good exchange of views." Basil said Indians wished to see the full participation of all political parties in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) announced by Colombo to review the 13A.

Douglas collects 38 signatures from government members

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Created On Monday, 08 July 2013 06:31

Category: General

Leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), Minster Douglas Devananda has got the signatures of 38 government ministers supportive of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. 

Devananda has said that he has collected the signatures of 38 government ministers expressing their support to the 13th Amendment in its current form.
“I have collected the signatures of 38 MPs who say that the 13th Amendment should remain intact,” Devananda has said.
He has added that the government would not be able to get the required two-thirds majority in parliament to pass any amendments to the 13th Amendment.
“If the Government tries to dilute the 13th Amendment, we will oppose it. We want the full implementation of the 13th Amendment,” he has said.