UNP to decide on APRC participation

The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Chairman, Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana has called upon the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to continue his party's participation at the APRC.

"I told Wickremesinghe that their participation at the APRC is the decision of individual parties and that it has nothing to do with the MoU (between the SLFP and UNP)," Prof. Vitharana told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

He said the UNP leader agreed to his request and said he would take up the issue at the UNP's Working Committee Meeting. However, according to UNP sources, the party had decided to put off a decision on the party's participation at the APRC.

Prof. Vitharana said he was awaiting the responses by the SLFP and the Hela Urumaya on his document outlining proposals on governance and devolution.

"The SLFP is expected to meet early this week to finalise their proposals and amendments to my document," he said. The APRC is also expected to meet this week for another session. Prof Vitharana said the UNP has accepted his document.

"While accepting my proposals in principle, the UNP said that there are issues that need to be taken up for discussion in a political perspective," he said. Prof. Vitarana said he also renewed his call for the JVP to return to the APRC.

He said he contacted the party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and MP Vijitha Herath. "They promised to consider my request, but they did not call me back," he said.