Govt’s proposals to APRC on May 1

Maximum devolution of power within one country:

Nadira Gunatilleke and Rasika Somarathne

COLOMBO: The Government will present its political proposals on devolution of power to the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) on May 1, Vesak Full Moon Poya day and May day, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing held at the Information Department Auditorium, Colombo 5 yesterday, he said the proposals will be based on maximum devolution of power within an undivided country. It is also proposed to establish a governing system that has an executive Prime Minister accountable to Parliament.

“Mahinda Chinthana accepts the devolution of power within one country and the proposals will be entirely based on Mahinda Chinthana and formulated within Mahinda Chinthana.”

Answering questions posed by journalists he said the committee appointed by the President to formulate the proposals has now completed their work.

This new system will abolish the Executive Presidency. All the proposals will be within the one country concept and Mahinda Chinthana.

Future steps regarding the proposals will be decided after presenting them to the APRC and obtaining the opinion of all, he added.

“At the moment the UNP and the Opposition Leader are trying to weaken the Government but we will not let them do it and it will remain only a dream.

“We will walk forward with the UNP group that joined with us and will take forward this county and its people.”

He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Government is only 16 months old. “The opposition leader has commenced an anti-Government campaign. The day before Maga Neguma-Jathika he put up a poster saying `Dushanaya, Bhishanaya, Rajapaksa Poshanaya’ which was against the President.”

The Minister said the people selected President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the Presidency because they preferred his personality, image and his sincerity towards the country and its people.

After getting defeated the Opposition Leader has very carefully examined why people chose the President over him and discovered that the main points are the President’s personality and image.

“Now he has launched a campaign to destroy those.” He said the UNP does not have a right to speak about violence and corruption because they originated those.

“Now the Opposition Leader speaks about white vans and disappearances but the highest number of persons disappeared during UNP regime. The UNP speaks about establishing a new Government but they postpone it from time to time.

It is the Opposition Leader and some UNP MPs who are more thrilled than Prabhakaran about Katunayake Air Force base attack. Today it is very clear to the people who is in the patriotic camp and who is in the treacherous camp.

Wickremesinghe never praised the armed forces and never admired their victories. He always wished their failure,” he added.