JHU urged to take part in APRC

COLOMBO: Matters are still under discussion at the All Party Representative Committee and it is only when adequate consensus has been reached on all issues that it would become the final APRC document, its Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitharana said yesterday.

In a letter to the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Prof. Vitharana said

core issues like the retaining of the word “Unitary” in defining the nature of the state are still subjects for further discussion and will be taken up at the next meeting of the APRC.

He urged the JHU to participate in the APRC process.

Excerpts from the letter: “I would like to emphasize that the best way to defeat the LTTE is to isolate them by winning the Tamil people to the side of the Government through the APRC proposals.

The APRC has met on 40 occasions and the ultimate objective is to come up with a set of proposals that would be the basis for settling the national question and also be a basis for a future constitution. When the representatives of the 14 political parties first met I was asked by common consent to function as its Chairman in this capacity.

After extensive discussions a common position was reached on a number of these core issues. There were three core issues that could not be resolved and I wrote to the Secretaries of the SLFP, JHU and MEP, suggesting compromise solutions and requesting that I be given an opportunity to discuss these with them.

It is unfortunate that the Secretary of the JHU did not respond to my letter. In addition I must mention that the JHU representative Mr. Gammanpila kept away from the six meetings of the APRC before the last one.

The SLFP and MEP responded to my letter and the President summoned a meeting of the People’s Alliance lenders, which included the MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, together with the leaders of the SLFP to discuss the matter.

Following this meeting he summoned a meeting of the leaders of the Government where a clear decision was taken to retain the “Province” as the unit of devolution, while strengthening the district as an administrative unit within it.

It is unfortunate that Gammanpila, in association with Minister Champika Ranawaka, have taken the modified discussion document of proposals submitted by me as being the final APRC position and made it the subject of public criticism by them.

It will be clear to everybody that the matters are still under discussion and it is only when adequate consensus has been reached on all issues that it would become the final APRC document.

I would appeal to Gammanpila to participate at the future meetings of the APRC. Where he is free to express his opinions and have them recorded, without disrupting the process of maximum consensus formation.”