Adopting federal constitution:

TNA Muslim rep proposes amendments

By Manjula Fernando

The TNA's only Muslim representative in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has proposed amendments to the recent resolution which called upon the government to adopt a federal constitution.

Ayoop Asmin who has been elected to the Council from the Mannar district on the TNA ticket said he supported the resolution on certain conditions. He had proposed amendments to ensure better representation for Muslims in the proposed Tamil-speaking administrative unit to be set up by merging the North and the East. "I have not received the final copy of the resolution incorporating the amendments. If my proposals are not taken on board, I will withdraw my support," Asmin told the Sunday Observer.

The NPC adopted a 22-point resolution last Friday calling on the government to consider a federal constitution identifying two broad linguistic states with 'adequate self-rule' within Sri Lanka. The two states will be a majority Tamil-speaking state combining the North and the East and a majority Sinhala-speaking state merging the other provinces.

The resolution, which also spoke of a North Eastern State Parliament and Muslim autonomous Regional Council in the Northern and Eastern provinces demanded full police and land powers as well as alternations to the national flag.

The two Sinhala members in the NPC who represented the Vavuniya district walked out of the meeting opposing the proposal for the North and East merger and the federal structure. The three other Muslim members - two from the All Ceylon Muslim Congress and one from the SLMC - were absent at the time of the vote.