‘Advisory Committe proposals should satisfy public, not LTTE’

Asela KURULUWANSA

KANDY: The responsibility of the All Party Advisory Committee is to formulate a set of proposals to satisfy the general public in this country and not a set of proposals to satisfy the LTTE organisation, states the all party Advisory Committee Chairman Tissa Vitharana, the Minister of Science and Technology.

Professor Tissa Vitharana made this comment when he addressed the media after presenting a synopsis of the All Party Advisory Committee’s draft proposals to the Most Ven.Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Maha Nayaka Thera, the Maha Nayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter, last Tuesday.

He further said that under the new proposals, the Tamil people in Sri Lanka can live an independent life without being subservient to the LTTE separatism. The new set of proposals suggests solutions based on the existing delimitation of the nine provinces, he emphasised.

According to Minister Vitharana, the Maha Nayaka Thera expressed his satisfaction with the proposals and blessed its successful implementation. The Maha Nayaka Thera pointed out that, if all political parties unanimously agree on the proposals of the Advisory Committee, the LTTE cannot reject it.

The Maha Nayaka Thera also appreciated President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s dedication towards this end, he said.

Professor Vitharana assured that the programme in mind will be successfully pushed through to the last, even in the absence of the JVP support.

The set of proposals based on the advice of the Board of Academics and himself ensures the security of Buddhism without any hindrance while protecting other religions as provided for under the existing Constitution.

The Minister also said that during the past six months, the All Party Committee held 24 meetings and the JVP participated 21 of them. Since the UNP and the SLFP took part in this process, change of a Government will not affect the implementation of the proposals.

Prof. Vitharana said according to the draft proposals, after the tenure of office of the Present President expires at the end of six years, the Executive Presidency system will be abolished and the Parliamentary Executive system will be restored and the Prime Minister will be elected through universal franchise and the administrative functions will be devolved on Provincial Councils while the Central Government will retain the major powers. Under the proposals, the Village Councils will be given a significant place, he said.

He said that the proposals from the SLFP are expected within this week and thereafter the Hela Urumaya and Tamil Workers Congress will forward their respective proposals.

After the SLFP forwards its proposals, UNP’s support will be known in due course, he said.