Sunday 12 May 2013

The Government is still battling as to what it should do with the 13 Amendment.





While the Government is battling as to what it should do with the 13 Amendment, the TNA and the Tamil National People’s Front are busy formulating a draft proposal to address Tamil issues.  SLMC General Secretary Ha ssan Ali opposes a 19 Amendment proposed by the government and opposes removal of the Land and Police powers proposed in the 17 Amendment.  The Government is still not sure as to what it should do and informs reducing armed forces from the North.

While the TNA is demanding, “ voting rights be granted to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu and facilities be set up to enable them to vote in the upcoming Northern Provincial Council election. An estimated 100,000 Sri Lankan Tamils are living as refugees in Tamil Nadu.”, the Sri  Government has not taken any steps to resettle the Sinhala IDPs in Jaffna.  

There was a report that the Sinhala IDPs have still not claimed those  lands in Jaffna  from which they were ousted by the LTTE,  and therefore they have not been resettled

These people  probably have the fear of attacks against them by the TNA sponsored Tamil Groups, and the reducing  of the Army Camps will not encourage the re-settlement of these Sinhala IDPs.

The government had been putting off doing so many essential things, that should have been done in May, 2009 immediately after the elimination of the terrorists. As a result those problems that could have been nipped off in the bud, have grown up in size. The Government should be bold to take decisions, and prepare to meet the out comes later.

Whether Azath Salley has or has not called for the Muslims to rise against the government is not the main problem , the main problem is the government leaving room  for such situations to arise due to hesitation in taking action.

Every day TNA is  becoming a heavier  political burden, and a great nuisance to all communities. The Government is unable to stop their “high treason” in calling for governments out side Sri, Lanka to intervene to settle internal affairs.  A TNA Mp had said that he is prepared to defend Azath Salley, if he is charged  under the prevention of terrorist act.  

How can Sri Lanka ever reconcile the Sinhala and Tamil Communities as long as the TNA carries out subversive activities against reconciliation ?  It should be either reconciliation or showing the TNA where their political  “journey” ends.

While the Government remains undecided about land and police powers, it is reported that , “ over 1,500 hectares of government land in Kilinochchi have been allocated for the newly-resettled landless Muslim families.”

As time goes, a greater problem for reconciliation of the Communities and taking the Country forward will  not be the TNA and Azath Alys, but the supposed to be democratic Opposition of Sri Lanka, the UNP led by Ranil Wickramasinghe and  JVP  led by Lal Kantha, and others like the FUTA, and  Mercantile Union. 

The UNP is prepared to join hands with the Devil himself to defeat the government by making the Tamils in Jaffna vote for TNA.  For Ranil Wickramasinghe whether the Sri Lanka should be a one nation in a Unitary Sri Lanka or two nations in a divided Sri Lanka  is immaterial as long has he can feather hopes  to assure his place some day  to become  the President of at least a part of Sri Lanka.

Hence the Government should soon decide which way it is going. It was reported , “National Organizer of the SLFP, Minister Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday that the government has still not reached finality on the longstanding proposition to repeal certain sections of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution considered obstacles to government’s development initiative.”

For how long is the government  going to hang on with the 13 Amendment, considering which parts of it should be kept and which parts of it should be removed.

The 13 Amendment should be removed as a whole immediately, and introduce amendments which the Government considers necessary to keep, but be certain that no land and police powers are handed over to the PCs.  The Government should also revitalise the Prevention of Terrorism Act to take into custody members of Political parties proposing special benefits to particular Communities.

After May, 2009, the political aspect of Sri Lanka  has taken a new dimension.  The development of the Country is for the people of Sri Lanka, therefore proposals should be for the progress and development of the people of all Communities.  

Sri Lanka cannot allow any individual or group to promote special privileges by way of  promoting political or  religious loyalties to countries away from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has its own Law and every one has to obey its laws.

It is certainly wise to stop elections in the North until the Governments takes a definite decision to withdraw the 13 Amendment and bring in new Amendments to the Constitution, and issue a strong warning against communal political  alliances  formed to benefit one community against another.

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