Multi-ethnic committee to evolve solution

Rashomi Silva

COLOMBO: The Government yesterday said a 12-member multi-ethnic committee will be appointed soon to evolve a home grown solution to the decades-long ethnic crisis.

"The committee will study all devolution modules including that of India, but our solution should be unique and fulfil the aspirations of the people," Government Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

Briefing the media at the weekly security press conference, Rambukwella said "both Velupillai Prabhakaran and Mahinda Rajapaksa are sons of the soil and their ideas should be incorporated in any future module".

The committee comprising of experts, academics and legal luminaries will be headed by Constitutional lawyer President's Counsel H.L. De Silva and is scheduled to have its first meeting next Tuesday, he said.

The Minister explained that the committee would also be an advisory body to the All Party Conference (APC) formed at its sixth sitting. It would submit proposals to the APC and evolve a broad outline for a solution.

The committee would discuss a possible framework for devolution, unit of devolution and possible amendments to the existing Constitution that would enable devolution of power to the periphery. "This is an initiative of the President and the ruling party," the Minister added.

Questioned on the composition of the 12-member body, he said the Government was flexible on the composition and on the number of members the committee should accommodate.

"There are suggestions to increase the representation of Tamil and Muslim members the committee and we are open to it." In a bid to resolve the conflict politically, President Rajapaksa early this year appointed the APC which has representatives from political parties represented in Parliament.

One of the main objectives was to sort out differences among Southern political parties and to evolve a "Southern consensus".