By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

‘Pongal assurance given with an eye to next national poll’

Rebel SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe should seek a fresh mandate if he intended to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

UNP leader Wickremesinghe couldn’t under any circumstances go ahead with his plans at the moment, the rebel SLPP National List lawmaker said. The President shouldn’t forget that his responsibility is to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term,” the MP said.

The leader of Yuthukama civil society group said so when the media sought his response to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Thai Pongal declaration in Jaffna that the 13th Amendment would be fully implemented. MP Cumaratunga represents Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya a constituent of the Nidahas Janatha Sandhanaya in the Local Government fray.

The assurance was given in the presence of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena last Sunday (15). Sri Lanka enacted 13th Amendment to the constitution in line with Indo-Lanka accord signed on July 29, 1987 under a threat from India.

Lawmaker Cumaratunga pointed out that Sri Lanka needed a new Constitution. In fact, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, having comfortably won 2019 presidential election initiated action in that regard. The 09-member expert committee that finalised draft constitution handed it over to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and leaders of political parties, including Ranil Wickremesinghe some time back, MP Cumaratunga said.

The MP emphasised that President Wickremesinghe couldn’t take a unilateral decision on 13th Amendment. The lawmaker said that he was quite surprised and disappointment by the President’s declaration.

Commenting on talks initiated by President Wickremesinghe meant to secure an all-party consensus on the national issue, MP Cumaratunga said that there was absolutely no dispute over the need to address accountability issues as well as other matters such as land disputes. But, unfortunately, the Sinhalese driven out of the Northern and Eastern provinces hadn’t been able to return to their lands, the MP said, urging President Wickremesinghe to address that issue as well.

MP Cumaratunga said that Sri Lanka couldn’t forget India caused terrorism here to facilitate the enactment of the 13th Amendment. Recalling violent protests in the aftermath of Indo-Lanka accord, MP Cumaratunga said that full implementation of land and police powers could destabilise the country. Sri Lanka’s unitary status could be at stake, the MP said, expressing confidence Premier Gunawardena and those who backed Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidential candidature would intervene.

Meanwhile, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, MP, who is also the chairman of Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya, in a letter dated January 16, has warned President Wickremesinghe granting of land and police powers to Provincial Councils would definitely subject the country to a separatist agenda.

Lawmaker Weerawansa has alleged President Wickremesinghe’s Thai Pongal declaration was meant to secure the backing of Tamil community at the next presidential election.

In a lengthy letter, the former JVPer warned the President of dire consequences if he sought to appease the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that backed terrorists??? instead of addressing the grievances of the people.

The NFF leader dealt with overall strategies adopted by Western powers and India pertaining to Sri Lanka struggling to come to terms with the continuing political-economic-social crisis.

Referring to the re-entry of one-time Norwegian peace broker Eric Solheim, lawmaker Weerawansa has questioned whether President Wickrekmesinghe wanted to resume his interrupted agenda. The former minister was referring to the dissolution of the Wickremesinghe government in 2003.

MP Weerawansa suggested that if the UNP leader was keen to resume his project, he should seek a fresh mandate at a presidential election. That could be a referendum on his agreement/understanding with the TNA and Tamil Diaspora.

Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera declared in parliament on Tuesday (17) the UNP leader Wickremesinghe couldn’t abuse executive powers.