{"id":231446,"date":"2023-02-15T02:57:18","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T21:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=231446"},"modified":"2023-02-26T14:27:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T08:57:08","slug":"politics-is-the-art-of-the-possible-on-our-meeting-with-the-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/politics-is-the-art-of-the-possible-on-our-meeting-with-the-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics Is The Art Of The Possible: On Our Meeting With The President"},"content":{"rendered":"

By C.V. Wigneswaran<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Justice C.V. Wigneswaran MP<\/p><\/div>\n

The Governor invited me to have a chat with His Excellency.\u00a0I agreed and met both of them in the company of my Private Secretary, Mr. Rajadurai on February 11th afternoon at Jetwing Hotel, Jaffna. The President said he was working on the matters that I had requested and a little time was necessary. I believe he meant the release of Political Prisoners, requests of families of the Disappeared, release of lands by the Military etc.\u00a0He was very much interested in getting the help of the Tamils to work with him. He had said so even when he first came into Parliament as the sole representative of the UNP year before last.<\/p>\n

Other matters which I asked him to consider were:<\/p>\n

1. Guaranteeing investments by the diaspora. He said there are existing Investment protection agreements with certain Countries like the UK and they could get the benefits under those Agreements which guarantee security of Investments if they apply from those countries.<\/p>\n

2. Commencing the Flight to Singapore and Malaysia. He said he was working on it.<\/p>\n

3. Commencing the flight to Colombo from Palali. He said he wanted the flight to go via Hingurukgoda. I pointed out that hitherto the flight went through China Bay. Said he would look into it.<\/p>\n

4. Changing the Chief Secretary and PD, Health bringing in Seniors from within the Province in their place. Again, he agreed to look into it.<\/p>\n

5. Lands taken over by Departments to be released.I pointed out that as per International Law priority regarding lands given under Colonisation schemes or taken by State and returned must be given to the people of the area. He agreed and said the Constitution says so.He would definitely change the Law to stop persons from outside the Districts being brought in.<\/p>\n

6. With regard to the \u201cMahinda Palace\u201d at KKS I pointed out that in the presence of Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran and Self, the former President Maithripala Sirisena agreed to give the Property to the NPC. He said the lands around the building belonging to private parties would be returned to them and the Building itself would have to be used for something useful naming it after Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan. I suggested Medical Tourism. He did not commit himself about giving to the NPC.<\/p>\n

7. KKS-Kaaraikal and Talaimannar Boat Service was discussed. He said he would consider giving to the private sector if anyone comes in to run the Services.<\/p>\n

8. Palali \u2013 Singapore Flight was discussed. He was all for it. Will take steps.<\/p>\n

9. I suggested the creation of Provincial Development Bonds where the People could purchase them and give impetus to the Development of the Province. He wanted us to take this up with Secretary Samaratunga.<\/p>\n

He mentioned other matters, draft laws of which were being prepared, which would stop the Central government from interfering with the work of the Provinces. His idea seems to be not to give a federal constitution<\/a><\/span> but to give effective power-sharing under the existing Constitution. Legislation for effective devolution was in the making, he said. He was contemplating taking out the Mahaweli Laws.<\/p>\n

He was determined to bring Laws to control the drug menace effectively.<\/p>\n

He was going to call upon the Private Sector to invest with regard to the opening of the Salterns, Paranthan Chemicals and Tile factory in Oddusuddan.<\/p>\n

He was unaware that a Sinhalese heads the Palmyra Development Board. Tikkam Factory would be made to function. He said Various Laws were being prepared and they would be discussed with the Tamil representatives before being submitted in Parliament.<\/p>\n

He said there was a document prepared by the seven Chief Ministers of Provincial Councils outside the North and East in 2017 and that I should go through it. Sumanthiran has a copy, he said. I could get it from him. I told him Sumanthiran sometimes conveniently forgets to share! But I would ask him.<\/p>\n

Both the Governor and HE were wanting to help the Tamils but not on our terms as I saw it.<\/p>\n

I thought engaging was necessary in order to progress. Our people must get investments and progress economically while keeping our political struggle real and vibrant. Creating barriers disallow effective engaging.<\/p>\n

Maybe other Tamil politicians have said similar things and done the same thing, but failed. I feel there is no need to feel pessimistic about these matters. Politics is the art of the possible. It means pragmatism instead of idealism. Politics as I see it is a matter of creating achievable goals and implementing them in the real world at ground level.<\/p>\n

Bismarck said<\/a><\/span> that \u201cpolitics is the art of the possible, the attainable \u2014 the art of the next best.\u201d The term suggests intelligence, common sense and an ability to work within the \u201cart of the possible\u201d. I do not see Federalism or Confederalism being achieved during my stay in this World. Our Youth will look after that. Let me work towards ameliorating the existing negative conditions of our people while doing every thing possible to achieve a Confederal Constitution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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