END OF ROAD FOR 13A WITH NATURAL DEATH FOR PROVINCIAL COUNCILS AND SAJITH’S COMMITMENT FOR MAXIMUM DEVOLUTION
Posted on September 2nd, 2019
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
A window of opportunity is open for the next generation of Nationalist Leaders to abrogate the Provincial Councils altogether in a New Constitution. The political tussle which existed with conflicting groups of legislators virtually made the functioning of Provincial Councils defunct.
Sumanthiran’s TNA and Hakeem’s Muslim Parties have been twisting arms of the Executive President, the Executive Prime Minister with the blessings of the Speaker, which culminated over 3 years, in a political tug O war.
TNA and SLMC will now be demanding from Leading contenders for Presidency to commit for the provision of PCs, with Police and Land Powers.
Nationalist Sinhalese, Maha Sanga, Catholic and Muslim clergy need to educate the Voters to clearly identify the profile of suitability of candidates.
Provincial Councils were an unnecessary decoration and a Superfluous Institution for Sri Lanka. Originally it was thought that PCs will solve most of the minority grievances, but the PC as a solution itself became a major problem, paving way for possible national disintegration and creating disunity amongst minorities.
At a time UNP unofficial candidate Sajith Premadasa is committing maximum devolution of power for minorities, Nationalist Groups must now unite to scrap PCs altogether, through the mechanism of a New Constitution. It will provide upgrading the powers of the Executive President, thus providing constitutional delegation of powers for safeguarding the Unitary Status of Sri Lanka. Draft Constitution must be placed before the Public, in the form of seeking Referendum.
Sajith Premadasa will be a Puppet worse than Ranil. Except for his ability to built match-boxes, Sajith has no vision and will ruin the country acting in a short-sighted idiotic manner within a very short period of time. Sajith and JVP Anura Kumara are now on the same frequency, with TNA and SLMC.
We salute the decision of the Supreme Court.
September 2nd, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Except Nagananda (who cannot win) all other major candidates promise more devolution over 13A.
Some politicians think they can win minority votes with 13 Plus and APRC devolution report resurrected assuming minorities are as foolish as the majority.
Sinhalese are already an economic minority which happened since the end of the war. (During the war Tamil majority areas were economically deprived which sustained the relative economic might of Sinhalese.) Minority voters must be fools to follow Sinhala voters into economic and demographic extinction.
September 2nd, 2019 at 6:11 pm
Thanks MDP for this.
It could have been worded strongly , like without current candidates doing this they could be clearly seen as cheater of Sinhala people and defeated.
September 2nd, 2019 at 6:50 pm
MAHA MODA Sajith addressing a meeting in Galle said today “Ekeeya ratak athulatha mama uparima balaya beda harinawa”!
That is, within a unitary sate he promised to DEVOLVE MAXIMUM POWER!
DEVOLUTION of Government Power at ANY LEVEL to SEPARATISM PRONE REGIONS is SIMPLE A PRESCRIPTION for NATIONAL DISINTEGRATION!
If we have not LEARNED this not only during the last 30-year SEPARATIST CONFLICT, but also from how those DEFEATED Tamil SEPARATISTS, and their NEW like-minded Muslim ALLIES setting up their Bantustans with SRi Lanka AS WE SPEAK, then WE ARE INCAPABLE of LEARNING and DESERVE EVERY DISASTER we will REAP in the future!
There should be NO DEVOLUTION WHATEVER to SUB-NATIONAL REGIONAL ENTITIES!
The 13A should be REPEALED NOW, and the Provincial Councils DISSOLVED!
ONE Central Government with 225 ELECTED representatives in the National Parliament is SUFFIUCIENT DEMOCRATIC FRANCHISE for miniscule Sri Lanka!
DISMANTLE Provincial Council Adminstration NOW! Eliminate REDUNDANT Government Bureaucracies! Gocvern Sri Lanka from the CENTER with NON-ELECTED President-APPOINTED District Governors and “Kachcheri” District Adminustrations as the British did!
Give our people, suffering and hamstrung into under excessive tax-supported government bureacracies, a BREAK! STREAMLINE Governance, STRENGTHEN the Central Government and the Executive Presidency, ELIMINATION and AVOID DIVISION of EXECUTIVE POWER that leaves the Nation LEADERLESS and HELPLESS under MULTIPLE Leaders who CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE for ANYTHING anmd POINT FINGERS at EACH OTHER!
UNDIVIDED AUTHORITY must necessarily ACCOMPANY UNDIVIDED RESPONSIBILITY, that is a BASIC TENET of Governance we must not RENDER IMPOTENT if we are to SURVIVE and PROSPER as ONE Nation of ONE PEOPLE sharing ONE DESTINY!
September 2nd, 2019 at 11:31 pm
Thank you Ananda for bringing this up.
Yes. Palaath Sabha white elephant must go ! It creates all the Anthawaadees. LTTE, Hizbullah, Assad Salley all exsit because of this.
No. We don’t need so many (225) idiots. Lesser is better. We also do not want a huge cabinet like current and previous governments. We don’t need STATE Ministers, Monitoring MPs and 1000 Presidential advisors.
However, both sides promised to DEVOLVE MAXIMUM POWER last elections. Current opposition promised to implement all LLRC recommendations within a year. In a way we are lucky they did not win because if they did it is already DONE.
September 3rd, 2019 at 12:39 am
Absolutely Ananda but Rajapaksas are the same. They are in competition with each other to give more and more devolved power to Tamils.
(Sajith will win 90% of Tamil and Muslim votes without promising anything. That is why Rajapaksas are working harder to win some minority votes. You might remember their “winning Tamil hearts and minds” campaign after 2010 which I called a disaster then.)
September 3rd, 2019 at 3:59 pm
I would like to remind all which we easily forget. Unless we quickly bring up these concerns, we are surely in trouble, knowing they already let Tissa Vitharana and GLP to the task of dividing Sri lanka. I don’t know how many of you agree.
Read the statement from previous (2015) JO+SLFP election manifesto.
1.8.6 උගත් පාඩම් සහ ප්රතිසන් ධාන කොමිස්ම් වාර්තාවේ නිර්දේශ් වසරක් තුල ක්රියාත්මක කරන්නෙමු.
Now we go to this LLRC recommendations. Why need to learn 3 languages to understand each other ? Aren’t these people out of their minds ? Instead of the simple task of teaching Sinhala to 25% minority LLRC recommended to spend ( from their pockets ? Take more loans ? ) to teach 75% majority a language useful in South India ONLY ? Read the ridiculous recommendation 9.247 and I did not see any requirement for compulsory Sinhala speaking officers ! In fact if you call Baticaloa Council today, they will say they don’t understand Sinhala. Please try this now. I tried in 2013 and they refuse to understand Sinhala.
1. LANGUAGE POLICY
Some recommendations give below.
9.243 The learning of each others’ languages should be made a compulsory part of the school
curriculum. This would be a primary tool to ensure attitudinal changes amongst the two
communities. Teaching Tamil to Sinhala children and Sinhala to Tamil children will result
in greater understanding of each other’s cultures.
9.244 The proper implementation of the language policy and ensuring trilingual (Sinhala, Tamil
and English) fluency of future generations becomes vitally important. A tri-lingual
education will allow children from very young days to get to understand each other.
9.245 The Commission welcomes the government initiative for a trilingual nation by the year
2020. To this end the necessary budgetary provisions must be made available on a
priority basis for teacher training and staffing.
9.247 It should be made compulsory that all Government offices have Tamil-speaking officers
at all times. In the case of Police Stations they should have bi-lingual officers on a 24-
hour basis. A complainant should have the right to have his/her statement taken down
in the language of their choice.
2. THE NEED FOR DEVOLUTION OF POWER
9.229 Many persons who appeared before the Commission stated in clear terms that reaching
a political consensus that will facilitate devolution of power to be of critical importance,
to further the process of reconciliation after the ending of LTTE terrorism, which was the
main obstacle against achieving such a consensus for a long time.
9.230 It is vital that the Government should provide leadership to a political process which
must be pursued for the purpose of establishing a framework for ensuring sustainable
peace and security in the post-conflict environment. In this endeavour the rights of all
communities, including those who have been members of the LTTE, must be ensured.
To this end a political settlement based on devolution must address the ethnic problem
as well as other serious problems that threaten the democratic institutions. This
political process should culminate in a constitutional foundation and mechanisms that
provide opportunities for development and implementation of necessary socioeconomic policies.
9.231 Devolution should necessarily be people-centric in nature and the following
considerations should be borne in mind –
a. Devolution should essentially promote greater harmony and unity and not
disharmony and disunity among the people of the country. The promotion of this
‘oneness’ and a common identity should be the principal aim of any form of
devolution while protecting and appreciating rich diversity.
b. The focus should be to ensure that the people belonging to all communities are
empowered at every level especially in all tiers of Government. Devolution of power
should not privilege or disadvantage any ethnic community, and in this sense,
should not be discriminatory or seen to be discriminatory by the people belonging
to any ethnic community within the country.
c. The democratic empowerment of the people should take place within the broader
framework of the promotion and protection of human rights which is a fundamental
obligation of the elected government deriving from specific provisions of the
Constitution and the Treaty obligations the country has voluntarily undertaken.
d. In addressing the question of devolution two matters require the attention of the
government. Firstly, empowering the Local Government institutions to ensure
greater peoples’ participation at the grass roots level. Secondly, it is also imperative
that the lessons learnt from the shortcomings in the functioning of the Provincial
Councils system be taken into account in devising an appropriate system of
devolution that addresses the needs of the people. It should at the same time
provide for safeguarding the territorial integrity and unity of Sri Lanka whilst
fostering its rich diversity.
9.232 An additional mechanism that may be considered is the possibility of establishing a
Second Chamber comprising Representatives from the Provinces. Such a mechanism is
likely to generate a sense of confidence among the political leadership and among the
people in the Provinces, that they too have a vital role to play in the legislative decision
making process, inter alia, by examining legislative measures that may have a bearing on
issues of particular relevance to the Provinces.
9.233 All parties should recognize that the real issue of sharing power and participating in
government is the empowerment of the people and making the political leaders
accountable to the people. This applies to Sri Lanka as a whole and includes the needs of
citizens of all communities, Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and others. The effective functioning
of the democratic system which fulfils these needs, together with a consensual
framework of devolution will, by virtue of attributes and institutions intrinsic to it, also
provide the answer to the grievances of minorities.
9.234 All parties must commit themselves to finding solutions internally through negotiation
with each other. The Tamil leaders should take account of the unnecessary
internationalization of the ethnic issue and the external pressures exercised by the
Diaspora and its impact on the negotiations for a political settlement. The perceptions of
external threat and intervention can create a sense of insecurity that can seriously
impede the progress towards an acceptable solution.
9.235 The Commission is of the view that it is an imperative that any devolutionary or power
sharing mechanism should be realized within the broad framework of a sovereign,
politically independent and multi-ethnic Sri Lankan State. While the distribution of
meaningful powers to the periphery is essential, there are powers which form the core
responsibilities of the State and which cannot be so devolved, and need to be retained
and exercised by the Government at the centre. It is also important to ensure that any
power sharing arrangement has inbuilt mechanisms that would effectively address and
discourage secessionist tendencies and safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the
State.
9.236 The Commission wishes to underline the critical importance of making visible progress
on the devolution issue, in order to ensure the success of any process of lasting and
sustainable reconciliation. The Commission therefore recommends that the present
opportunity be utilized to launch a good-faith effort to develop a consensus on
devolution, building on what exists – both, for maximum possible devolution to the
periphery especially at the grass roots level, as well as power sharing at the centre. This
consensus should be one that will enable peoples’ participation in governance decisions
affecting them and avoid costly and unnecessary duplication of political, bureaucratic
and other institutional structures that hamper efficient, cost-effective and transparent
governance.
9.237 To this end, the Government must take the initiative to have a serious and structured
dialogue with all political parties, and those representing the minorities in particular,
based on a proposal containing the Government’s own thinking on the form and content
of the dialogue process envisaged. That dialogue must take place at a high political level
and with adequate technical back-stopping
September 3rd, 2019 at 4:57 pm
Thank you Randeniyage.
Sri Lanka needs no traitors or natural disasters when we have “patriots”!
Quote – 9.244 The proper implementation of the language policy and ensuring trilingual (Sinhala, Tamil and English) fluency of future generations becomes vitally important. A tri-lingual education will allow children from very young days to get to understand each other.
How completely foolish! You only need one language to communicate with another. English can do it. You don’t need 3 languages!
September 3rd, 2019 at 6:11 pm
@Dilrook
Vigneshwaran imposed a rule under North Palaath Sabha that any Sinhala teaching shall only be done by Tamil teachers !
Result was some Sinhala language teaching that went on completely stopped or reduced to a minimum.
Whereas Tamil is successfully taught to Sinhala students in the South. By 2024 we will have a Tamil Speaking Nation. One thing good we can get jobs in Tamil Naadu and Sinhala will be able to marry Dalits in Tamil Nadu!
Where is Christie ?
September 3rd, 2019 at 6:38 pm
How completely foolish! You only need one language to communicate with another. English can do it. You don’t need 3 languages!
How right.
And just imagine the utter waste of time one experiences when contacting any government department!
They tell you: tap 1 for Sinhala…tap 2 for Tamil…tap 3 for English…all this, especially the English part, in a very laboured manner.
So before the topic is approached you are engaged in a very irritating, completely artificial, and time consuming process which belittles the saying that ‘time is money’.
These practices are all the more nonsensical because people who speak the No.1 and No.2 languages do not make any impact on their interlocutors being considered ‘ordinary’, while the ever decreasing number speaking English are instinctively shown more respect. Go to a police station and you will see. They look up at you and start the guess-work about WHO you are, which puts them on the defensive and makes them to act more courteous.
No where in the world are there such DUDES than in this damned country. Where on earth does ONE UNITARY country engage in such language racketing? Take neighbouring India as the classic example.
The rulers of this country are comparable to the old man who rode his donkey to market. Every passer-by told him what his relationship to the donkey must be, and he complied…that is until both fell into the river they were crossing and were drowned.
We are ruled by OLD BUMS who are taking mother Lanka for a donkey.
Mario Perera, Kadawata
September 3rd, 2019 at 7:50 pm
@Randeniyage
Education is a provincial power. Read Schedule IX List 1 Provincial Council List of the Constitution.
Most people who try to push the 13A matter under the carpet during election time have never read the 13A. They think it is harmless. Or they know it is extremely dangerous to the nation but since their political masters are federalists in unitary clothing, they don’t mind 13A.
There is an extreme danger to the nation when SLPP comes to power. There will be no one to defend the nation when they destroy the national interest. UNP, TNA, JVP and SLMC don’t care. The only party that cares even a little about Sri Lanka is SLPP/JO when in opposition and when there is no election.
e.g. ACSA with USA in 2007. No one protested.
e.g. LRRC in 2011. No one protested.
e.g. 13 Plus promise in 2009. No one protested.
e.g. Appointment of Vigneswaran and Najeeb as CMs in 2013 and 2012 respectively. No one protested.
e.g. Selling army HQ to Shangri-La in 2010. No one protested.
We either need a new patriotic opposition party with at least 50 MPs or SLPP/JO must remain in the opposition to defend the national interest.
September 4th, 2019 at 3:26 am
These analysis by contributors points to one angle, i.e. we are all worried Sri lanka will eventually be disintegrated.
I think we have a communication problem. How many Sinhalese academic we have who can speak effectively Tamil Language. When Dr W S Karunaratne, Alec Robertson and the like were fluent in more than 12 languages, including Tamil. WS was a walking encyclopedia in 12 languages, plus knowledge of Buddhism, Christianty, 7 day Adventists etc.
Can SLPP find effective public speaker of Tamil. Cannot depend on recycled politician Karuna Amman, Mano Gaheshan, Douglas Devanandan.
Most of our problems between Tamils and Sinhalese were due to lack of communication. If there are such speakers, please put pen to paper. We should tap those resources.
September 4th, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Only good thing that Jadapalanaya brought to focus during the last nearly five years is the fact that the Provincial Councils are an absolute non-essential element for the governance of Sri Lanka. It must be allowed to die a natural death.
However, in the hands of the politicians, it has become another tool through which the whims and fancies of their unsuccessful supporters can be placated. These white elephants waste an enormous amount of public funds if not for anything but merely to support these useless institutions.
During the last few years, there was hardly any cry from the minority racial and minority religion parties over the nonexistence of these behemoths. The existence of the provincial councils in the rest of the country was a non-issue and only introduced by the manipulator king JR Jayawardene to make devolution for the North and East more acceptable for the rest of the country.
The Provincial Councils must go. This is something the Statesman Gotabhaya should address for Mahinda is only a political animal with only votes in mind.
September 4th, 2019 at 7:37 pm
@DR M D P DISSANAYAKE
Not so.
No matter what tricks they try, Tamils and Muslims will never vote for a Rajapaksa over 15%. Period.
SLPP must not go begging and venerating them. It is useless and counter productive. At the 2018 LG elections, SLPP failed to produce even 2% Tamil or Muslim councillors!
This was the mistake BR and MR did after 2010 and paid a heavy price. In my assessment it is a crime that deserves permanant deprivation of power. But then again Sinhalese have chosen to give up territory and identity.