Third meeting of APRC on August 8

Rajmi MANATUNGA

COLOMBO: The All Party Representative Committee (APRC), comprising delegates from different political parties will meet again on August 8 to formulate a constitutional framework capable of facilitating a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict.

This would be the third meeting of the APRC after it was inaugurated on July 11 under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Peace Secretariat Deputy Head Ketesh Loganathan said.

At its first meeting held on July 20, the Committee has decided on a three-point agenda that would govern their deliberations.

"The first point is identifying the stakeholders of the process and their issues. Secondly, the Committee would look into the issue of sharing power based on need and capacity. Thirdly, it would deal with transitional arrangements," he said.

According to Loganathan, the second stage of the agenda would include discussions on matters such as the degree of power devolution and the relationship between the Centre and the peripheries in a future constitutional framework.

"At its first meeting, the APRC also appointed Prof. Tissa Vitharana as its chairman. Although the APRC and the Panel of Experts generally meet parallel, they could also have joint meetings upon agreement".

The APRC was appointed at the sixth session of the All Party Conference with representatives from different political parties represented at the APC apart from the United National Party.