Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka have rejected President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to implement the 13th Constitutional Amendment, without Police Powers.
He met with the representatives of the Tamil political parties in Parliament on Tuesday (18) to discuss a series of matters, and many factions have expressed concern over the timing of this meeting.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will fly to India on Thursday (20) for an official two-day visit.
Regarding the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, President Wickremesinghe informed the legislators that extensive discussions had taken place on the proposals.
While it was possible to grant all powers outlined in the proposal, except for police powers, the inclusion of police powers would require the agreement of all party leaders representing the Parliament, said the President, noting that a two-thirds majority in Parliament was necessary for such decisions.
President’s Counsel M.A Sumanthiran, the spokesperson for the Tamil National Alliance, the main bloc of legislators representing the North and East of Sri Lanka noted that the meeting with the President did not bear any fruit.
He said the meeting alone was ‘just a show’ to the world, especially India, to highlight that discussions are taking place with the Tamil political parties, in resolving the Tamil National Question.
“He wasn’t even willing to implement whatever is in the constitution,” Sumanthiran told the media, adding, “This was a just an eyewash show for the world.”
The leader of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front, or EPRLF, Suresh Premachandran said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke locally and internationally about going beyond the 13th Constitutional Amendment, while the sitting President is doing a complete U-turn on the matter.
“We are well aware of the contents of the 13th Constitutional Amendment, which includes police powers. We believe that police powers are necessary for the North and East, though they are not given to the other provinces. We have made a note of this in our letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
On Tuesday (18), the Leader of the Tamil National Alliance R. Sampanthan in a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to prevail on the President of Sri Lanka when he visits New Delhi this week, to fulfill the commitments made to India with regard to sharing powers of governance with the Tamil people of the North and East in Sri Lanka.
He noted that in total disregard of the pious promises and repeated assurances on its part, the Sri Lankan State has not only failed to fulfill its commitments, but also attempted to abort the implementation of the 13th Amendment by resisting the demands for the devolution of land and police powers.
Sampanthan noted that the Tamil people’s safety, security, identity, and existence as a nation is inseparable from the national security of India.
Professor A. Sarveswaran from the University of Colombo believes that the President is making ‘an attempt to kill two birds with one stone.’
“The President is trying to secure the support of India by way of hinting that the Provincial Council system will be implemented. On the other hand, he is attempting to secure the majority’s support in the south by saying no to providing police powers. He is trying to secure the support of the Muslim and Tamil communities in the North and East, by stating that the Provincial Councils system will be implemented. This is a ploy by the President targeting the upcoming the election,” he explained.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will travel to India on an official visit from July 20-21 aimed at further advancing and consolidating the long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries.
Communication from the Sri Lankan and India External Affairs ministries confirmed the visit.
President Wickremesinghe will undertake an official visit to India on 20-21 July 2023 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the visit, President Wickremesinghe would meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi and other Indian dignitaries on a range of issues of mutual interest.
This will be Wickremesinghe’s first visit to India after being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a people’s uprising in July.
