Power devolution talks will be extended to all
parties:
Heads of political parties hail President’s announcement
by P. Krishnaswamy
Leaders of political parties representing the Tamil-speaking people
of the North and the East welcomed President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent
announcement that the talks on power devolution to the North and the
East will not be confined to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) but will
also be extended to other political parties which represent the people
of the two provinces.
President Rajapaksa told a meeting on Tuesday with newspaper editors,
that the TNA is not the sole representative of the Tamil-speaking people
and, therefore, the Government would hold talks with other political
parties as well.
Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises and leader
of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Douglas Devananda, Sri
Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary M.T. Hassen Ali MP and
Minister of Industries and Commerce and leader of the All Ceylon
People’s Congress (ACPC) Rishad Bathiudeen who have representation in
Parliament and Local Government bodies of the two provinces said that
the President has taken the right decision in considering them too as
stakeholders in the process of negotiation for power devolution.
Endorsing President Rajapaksa’s announcement on the matter, Minister
of Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella told the Sunday Observer
that while talks with the TNA on power devolution will continue, talks
will also be held with other political parties of the provinces in an
effort to reach a consensus among all stakeholders, including the Muslim
political parties.
Minister Rambukwella said that the Government is now in the process
of finalising arrangements for the resettlement of over 100,000 Muslims,
who were driven away by LTTE terrorists from their traditional homes in
the Jaffna and Mannar districts in 1989-90.
Elections to the Northern Provincial Council are being delayed due to
this reason.
No population census had been conducted in the province after 1981
and a proper census and updating of electoral registers will be done
after the resettlement of the Muslim families before holding the PC
polls, he said.
Minister Devananda commenting on the President’s announcement said
that the President has taken the right and just stand with regard to
talks on the devolution process.The EPDP which has people’s
representation had contributed towards the peace talks in the past and
had also made many sacrifices for that cause.
As far as the TNA is concerned they are only bent on further
complicating and dragging the issues rather than trying to adopt an
attitude of compromise to reach a settlement. Hence, a settlement that
is reached with the participation of other political parties is apt to
be the lasting solution, he said.
SLMC General Secretary Hassen Ali said that their party leader,
Minister Rauff Hakeem, played a lead role in the six rounds of peace
talks that were held with the LTTE and their party also contributed
significantly at the sittings of the All Party Representative Committee
(APRC).
The SLMC has the people’s mandate with representation in Parliament
and in Local Government bodies, with four Pradeshiya Sabhas in the
Eastern Province under their administration, he said. The SLMC was
formed in 1982 for the explicit purpose of striving towards a lasting
solution to the problem, he said. Quite naturally all stakeholders
should be participants in the talks and the President has taken the
right decision in that respect, he said.
Minister of Industry and Commerce and leader of the ACPC Rishad
Bathiudeen also expressed similar views. Stressing that their party had
representation in parliament, the Eastern PC and several Local
Government bodies, he vehemently refuted the TNA claim that they are the
sole representatives of the people of the North and the East.
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