Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told foreign diplomats at his ministry office on Thursday (Jan. 24) that the international community should recognize that the proposals of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) are not meant to appease LTTE terrorists, but to meet the aspirations of the long suffering people of the North and the East. The Minister said that at last after 20 years the present formulation would see the letter and spirit of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 fully implemented in the areas it was most intended to serve.
Following is the full text of the Minister's speech:
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday received from Minister Tissa Vitharana, Chairman of the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) the proposals to address the reasons for the present conflict. These include full implementation of the relevant provisions of the present Constitution. The APRC will continue to explore additional proposals.
The present proposals have sought to identify a course of action to achieve maximum and effective devolution of power to the Provinces to meet the aspirations of the minorities, including the Tamil speaking peoples, as well as other communities, especially those living in the North and the East. What is most important is that this could be done most expeditiously within the framework of the present Constitution. It is a new approach, and a pragmatic way forward following a series of failed attempts at bringing about constitutional reforms. It is envisaged that the momentum generated by working together on the basis of these proposals will enable all communities to build trust that is a pre requisite to embark on greater reforms.
The basic steps envisaged to overcome the existing shortcomings with regard to the devolution of power are the following:
1. Recognizing that the devolution of subjects and functions to the provinces through the concurrent list had not taken place due to the fact that most of these subjects and functions were retained by the centre, the Government should fully implement the 13 th Amendment to the Constitution in respect of legislative, executive and administrative powers.
2. It also seeks to overcome existing shortcomings, especially through adequate funding of the Provincial Councils by the Government.
3. Holding of provincial elections immediately in the Eastern Province.
4. Taking into consideration the existing conditions in the Northern Province, an alternative arrangement in the Northern Province to enable the people of the Province to enjoy the fruits of devolution. Accordingly the recommendation is for the establishment of an Interim Council as a temporary measure for the Northern Province in terms of the Constitution, reflecting the ethnic character of the Province, which will aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his executive powers until the elections are held.
5. Measures to provide for the full implementation of Chapter IV of the Constitution on language. This includes recruitment of Tamil speaking Police officers, taking steps to recruit interpreters, translators providing and facilitating other relevant facilities in the courts of law in sufficient numbers, recruitment of staff and procurement of equipment to enable Tamil speaking people to transact business in public bodies in their own language. Similar steps are to be taken to address the disadvantages of the Sinhala minorities in the North and the East.
The APRC proposals developed over the months received the concurrence of all the members of the Committee, including the Tamil and Muslim parties represented in the APRC.
The consensus which emerged among the political party leaders on this occasion was the recognition that this was a historic step in Sri Lanka's 60 years of independence and that for the first time an initiative had been agreed through a process of democratic consultation to devolve power to the North and the East. They paid tribute to the pragmatic leadership of President Rajapaksa and to the untiring efforts of the Chairman of the APRC Minister Tissa Vitarna in building consensus within the APRC. Leading Tamil political party leaders welcoming the proposals characterized it as an important point of departure and said it was an important step forward in the pursuit of greater devolution. Leading Muslim political party leaders also welcomed the proposals as a positive beginning in seeking a sustainable peace.
The Chairman of the APRC, Minister Vitharna, commended participants who had displayed great flexibility and worked to achieve a political consensus, moving from original hard line positions on devolution on both sides of the divide. One political leader commented that for the first time all views had been sought and nothing had been imposed on the people through executive fiat, thereby strengthening fundamental democratic principles. The hope was expressed that the people of the North and the East could participate in the Constitutional process through their true elected representatives.
At the conclusion of the meeting President Rajapaksa thanked all the participating political parties and its Chairman, Minister Vitharna, for their efforts over the last one and a half years, in the 63 sessions held by the APRC, which had resulted in the present consensual outcome and the practical measures to be implemented immediately. He emphasized that the Government owed a duty to the people to implement the Constitution and stated that necessary legal and administrative measures would be taken for their implementation as soon as possible. The President emphasized that political issues required political solutions, while terrorism required a different response. He called upon all political parties not to seek narrow political gains and to join in addressing the remaining issues in a sprit of reconciliation and cooperation. .
It is a fact that after 20 years the present formulation will see the letter and spirit of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 being fully implemented in the areas it was most intended to serve. What is most significant about the present consensus is that political parties, both in the North and the South have demonstrated a spirit of political flexibility in extending their cooperation to the proposals.
In assessing these proposals, it is important that the international community must recognize that these are not proposals aimed at meeting the demands of the LTTE terrorists, but to meet the aspirations of the long suffering people of the North and the East. Its significance is that these are implementable steps in a continuing process for greater devolution of power, with the objective of achieving a final and durable political settlement acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka.
Following is the full text of the Minister's speech:
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday received from Minister Tissa Vitharana, Chairman of the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) the proposals to address the reasons for the present conflict. These include full implementation of the relevant provisions of the present Constitution. The APRC will continue to explore additional proposals.
The present proposals have sought to identify a course of action to achieve maximum and effective devolution of power to the Provinces to meet the aspirations of the minorities, including the Tamil speaking peoples, as well as other communities, especially those living in the North and the East. What is most important is that this could be done most expeditiously within the framework of the present Constitution. It is a new approach, and a pragmatic way forward following a series of failed attempts at bringing about constitutional reforms. It is envisaged that the momentum generated by working together on the basis of these proposals will enable all communities to build trust that is a pre requisite to embark on greater reforms.
The basic steps envisaged to overcome the existing shortcomings with regard to the devolution of power are the following:
1. Recognizing that the devolution of subjects and functions to the provinces through the concurrent list had not taken place due to the fact that most of these subjects and functions were retained by the centre, the Government should fully implement the 13 th Amendment to the Constitution in respect of legislative, executive and administrative powers.
2. It also seeks to overcome existing shortcomings, especially through adequate funding of the Provincial Councils by the Government.
3. Holding of provincial elections immediately in the Eastern Province.
4. Taking into consideration the existing conditions in the Northern Province, an alternative arrangement in the Northern Province to enable the people of the Province to enjoy the fruits of devolution. Accordingly the recommendation is for the establishment of an Interim Council as a temporary measure for the Northern Province in terms of the Constitution, reflecting the ethnic character of the Province, which will aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his executive powers until the elections are held.
5. Measures to provide for the full implementation of Chapter IV of the Constitution on language. This includes recruitment of Tamil speaking Police officers, taking steps to recruit interpreters, translators providing and facilitating other relevant facilities in the courts of law in sufficient numbers, recruitment of staff and procurement of equipment to enable Tamil speaking people to transact business in public bodies in their own language. Similar steps are to be taken to address the disadvantages of the Sinhala minorities in the North and the East.
The APRC proposals developed over the months received the concurrence of all the members of the Committee, including the Tamil and Muslim parties represented in the APRC.
The consensus which emerged among the political party leaders on this occasion was the recognition that this was a historic step in Sri Lanka's 60 years of independence and that for the first time an initiative had been agreed through a process of democratic consultation to devolve power to the North and the East. They paid tribute to the pragmatic leadership of President Rajapaksa and to the untiring efforts of the Chairman of the APRC Minister Tissa Vitarna in building consensus within the APRC. Leading Tamil political party leaders welcoming the proposals characterized it as an important point of departure and said it was an important step forward in the pursuit of greater devolution. Leading Muslim political party leaders also welcomed the proposals as a positive beginning in seeking a sustainable peace.
The Chairman of the APRC, Minister Vitharna, commended participants who had displayed great flexibility and worked to achieve a political consensus, moving from original hard line positions on devolution on both sides of the divide. One political leader commented that for the first time all views had been sought and nothing had been imposed on the people through executive fiat, thereby strengthening fundamental democratic principles. The hope was expressed that the people of the North and the East could participate in the Constitutional process through their true elected representatives.
At the conclusion of the meeting President Rajapaksa thanked all the participating political parties and its Chairman, Minister Vitharna, for their efforts over the last one and a half years, in the 63 sessions held by the APRC, which had resulted in the present consensual outcome and the practical measures to be implemented immediately. He emphasized that the Government owed a duty to the people to implement the Constitution and stated that necessary legal and administrative measures would be taken for their implementation as soon as possible. The President emphasized that political issues required political solutions, while terrorism required a different response. He called upon all political parties not to seek narrow political gains and to join in addressing the remaining issues in a sprit of reconciliation and cooperation. .
It is a fact that after 20 years the present formulation will see the letter and spirit of the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 being fully implemented in the areas it was most intended to serve. What is most significant about the present consensus is that political parties, both in the North and the South have demonstrated a spirit of political flexibility in extending their cooperation to the proposals.
In assessing these proposals, it is important that the international community must recognize that these are not proposals aimed at meeting the demands of the LTTE terrorists, but to meet the aspirations of the long suffering people of the North and the East. Its significance is that these are implementable steps in a continuing process for greater devolution of power, with the objective of achieving a final and durable political settlement acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka.
