Until Govt. clearly states its position on future of 13-A
By Zacki Jabbar-July 9, 2013
The UNP yesterday decided against joining the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Ethnic Issue since the government had not clearly set out its stand on the future of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Assistant Leader of the UNP, Joseph Michael Perera MP told The Island that the decision to boycott the PSC had been taken after the parliamentary group,
which met with party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in the Chair, discussed the ruling UPFA’s proposed amendments to the 13th Amendment, which were yet to be presented.
The consensus was that it was futile to participate in the PSC deliberations, without the government stating whether or not it would dilute the 13-A, he noted.
The ethnic issue had been discussed for decades and there was no need to go through another lengthy process, the Perera said, adding that if the UPFA leaders were suffering from a memory loss, they should read their very own Mangala Moonesinghe, Tissa Vitharana and LLRC Reports and then come up with a solution.
The Rajapaksa regime had given wide publicity to presenting a Bill on abolishing the power of two or more Provincial Councils to merge. It had also threatened to strip the Provincial Councils of police and land powers, but there was no concrete action being taken despite it possessing a two thirds majority, even though it was obtained against the voters’ wishes, Perera observed.
The Opposition, MP Perera said had not been consulted before the 17th Amendment was repealed, but now the government with a view to buying time had appointed a PSC to drag the debate on the proposed dilution of 13-A as long as possible to cover up its failure to improve the basic living standards of the people, the vast majority of whom lived in abject poverty.
Perera noted that the Rajapaksa regime had duped the masses once again by pledging 13-A Plus to the international community while playing the "Patriotic Card" in the country.
