APRC holds extra sessions

Manjula FERNANDO

"As military operations in the North gather momentum, the APRC now meets twice a week to hold discussions on core issues on devolution of power and the speedy expeditions process of framing a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Chairman, Prof. Tissa Vitharana said political parties have moved on to more contentious issues with regard to devolution of power after reaching a consensus on 90 percent of the moderate issues.

He said the parties agreed that the unit of devolution should be provinces and now they were discussing on powers that should be devolved at the provinces and grassroots level.

Speaking on behalf of the minority parties, Western People's Front Leader, Mano Ganeshan said they had big expectations on the APRC 'expert report' which has now become defunct. "We still believe this could serve as a good basis for discussion," he noted.

WPF General Secretary Dr. Kumaran Karubaran who represents the party at the APRC said they had faith in the APRC process led by Prof. Tissa Vitharana who is genuinely committed to find a just solution agreeable to all the parties.