Power devolution can solve ethnic issue: PM

Rohan Mathes

COLOMBO: Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake said the Government was prepared to solve the ethnic conflict and eradicate terrorism on the basis of power devolution.

The Prime Minister made this assertion when he met a group of Servicemen of the Indian Defence Academy at his office on Tuesday.

High ranking officers of the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force, including Vice Admiral Pradeep Koushiva and Major General M.K. Singh participated.

The Prime Minister said Provincial Councils have been set up and already power has been devolved as per the 13th Amendment of the Constitution.

Responding to queries of the Service Chiefs, Wickramanayake said the Government was seeking a solution which could be accepted by all stakeholders to the conflict.

He pointed out that 17 parties had been invited for the All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) meetings. Excluding the UNP and the TNA, 15 of them have participated at the discussions.

However they expect the UNP and the TNA to join in the discussions on broadbased power sharing, the Prime Minister said.

He said although the LTTE withdrew from the negotiating table, they were always prepared to re-accommodate them to discuss on power sharing.

Wickramanayake was of the view that TULF Leader V. Anandasangari had shown a great interest in resolving the issue.

“Power sharing is based on its implementation mechanism instead of being confined only to words. One should view this issue realistically,” he added. He stated that the Government was against terrorism and not the Tamil speaking polity of the country.

“We are also opposed to any foreign country either from the East or West, interfering in our internal affairs direct or indirectly via their agencies. They have no moral right to it. We will not permit it,” the Prime Minister said.