28 March, 2024

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Rajapaksa Questions Feasibility Of The 13th Amendment

BY OUTLOOK INDIA –

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has questioned the feasibility of the full implementation of the thirteenth amendment which talks about the devolution of power to Tamil dominated provinces.

The Island newspaper today quoted Rajapaksa as saying that the thirteenth amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution had been forced on Sri Lanka by India.

The system of provincial councils for Sri Lanka was outlined in the Indo-Lanka peace accord of 1987. However full powers to the provinces remain yet to be conferred.

His remark came as India’s opposition leader Sushma Swaraj urged Sri Lanka to work towards expeditious settlement of the national issue with consultation with the main Tamil party Tamil National Alliance.

Swaraj said Rajapaksa had told her that 13 plus would be given as the solution to end the impasse.

The paper quoted government sources as saying that Rajapaksa told Swaraj’s 12-member delegation that he would not treat TNA as the sole representatives of the Tamils.

Rajapaksa also said that troops withdrawal from the north and east was not possible. The delegation urged demilitarisation of the former conflict zones.

Swaraj yesterday asserted that Rajapaksa promised her to ensure that military did not impede civilian life.

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Latest comments

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    What contradictory news. See the above news caption here, where MR has promised to pull the forces out to the delegation of the Indian MPs who recently visited here. According to news MR has assured 13 plus as a settlement for the visiting MPs. Now he is vascilating saying that the 13 plus has been forced on us by India. This he did promise, the 13 plus when the External Affairs Minister Mr.SM Krishna visited prior and no sooner he left for India, MR started denying. MR is displaying his credibility and must be thinking that he can bluff the International Community, like how he bluffs the foolish patriots in this country.

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    Buddha was an indian, a hindu, would have voted against Sri Lanka in Human Rights Commission in UN

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    Gamini,Ms.Sushma Swaraj first claimed that the president agreed to give 13+ but when questioned at the press conference quietly changed to we discussed 13 +.Discussing 13A can not and should not be construed as promising 13A. However MR promised a 13A+ before may 2009 understandably to keep Indian pressure as low as possible.
    As the saying goes in love and war anything goes.Even Bush and Blair lied knowingly. Now the Indians seems to realise that 13A is almost on the death bed and doing their best to revive it may also be one of the reasons for Geneva vote,to force MR on 13A path.
    The bottom line is majority of the people in Sri Lanka are disgusted with the provincial councils regardless of their ethnicity and it is foolish to expect full PC powers after such a long battle.
    The best thing right now is to come back to square one,that is to come back to the center and work out a power sharing method from the center. I am sure almost every one will support such a system.

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      NAK I personally do not approve devolution, 13 plus or minus as it will furhter segregate the two communities. I believe creation of a Secular Society with equal recognition to all in a Unitary State should be acceptable to all.

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