APRC devolution package this week

by Shanika Sriyananda

The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) will present the much awaited devolution package to President Mahinda Rajapaksa this week.

Minister of Science and Technology and Chairman of the APRC Prof. Tissa Vitharana told the 'Sunday Observer' that two documents will be presented to the President on January 23. "Apart from the final document, a separate document will also be released. The second document will contain the provisions that exist under the present constitution where power devolution can be directly implemented", he said.

The second document would contain the issues that can be resolved within the framework of the present Constitution.

The APRC which was well represented by all parties at the initial stages was not represented by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the United National Party (UNP) which withdrew later from the Committee.

After the APRC devolution package is presented to President Rajapaksa it would be presented to the Cabinet and Party Leaders to bring amendments before it is presented to Parliament. The Committee which completed its 61st session on Thursday will meet twice before finalising the package.

The UNP said that they would not oppose the APRC proposals as long as they genuinely address the grievances of the Tamil community. "Being the main opposition party the UNP also wants to solve the decades-long war and the UNP will support any proposals that will address the grievances of all communities", UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka said.

According to Attanayaka, the UNP is not aware about what is in the APRC's final document. "The government should ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country guaranteed under the Constitution.

The UNP has no reason to oppose any proposal that would solve the national problem and what we expect is a package to solve the grievances of the Tamils immediately without dragging it", he said.Meanwhile, the JVP which had opposed the APRC proposals from the beginning is still of the view that the government can not reach a political solution until terrorism is totally eradicated.

JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa said that the devolution of power would be more meaningful only after restoration of peace. "We do not consider the APRC as a committee which was formed to look into the national problem but a committee comprising of government friendly political parties", he said.

He said that the proposals would create more problems and discourage the military and the people of this country who gave their mandate to the government to crush terrorism. "We oppose APRC proposal and would decide the future course of action if the government try to implement them", he said.