A new pattern of development

Interviewed by L.S.Ananda Wedaarachchi

****----

The single instance of the two major political parties reaching an agreement on a national issue was the Sirima-Shastri agreement on stateless persons in the 1960s. If the repatriation of stateless persons was not done under that agreement even the upcountry would have become a victim of LTTE terrorism.

Both major political parties should come to an agreement on resolving the national question without trying to use national issues merely to come to power or remain in power. It is most essential to amend the Constitution to make way for a sustained

unity in the country, Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara said in an interview with the Daily News.

***----

Following are the highlights of the interview:

Question: Terrorism that had devastated the country and people for over three decades is coming to an end now. Poverty and dissatisfaction are seen as the causes of terrorism. What steps should be taken to eradicate terrorism and take the country towards economic development?

Answer: The pattern of development during the past 6 decades in this country was lopsided. It was a Colombo centred Development effort. You can see that 51 per cent of the GDP had flowed to the Western Province while only 3 per cent flamed to the Northern Province, 4 per cent to Eastern Province and the Uva Province while North Central Province also received 4 per cent.

The position in the other Provinces was also about the same. This imbalanced pattern of economic growth and benefit, no doubt was the reason for the growth and spread of terrorism.

However three years back steps were taken to change this pattern and a program to take industries that were concentrated in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts to other districts was started. Regional development, rural development and small and medium scale industrial sectors are being developed at a dynamic pace.

During the last season Trincomalee had a bumper rice harvest of 60,000 tons. Ampara and Batticaloa districts also experienced good harvests. Such results would give a good income to the people in those remote districts.

In addition infrastructure development programs are being implemented even in the remotest rural areas. For example building concrete roads, bridges and main roads under the Maga Neguma and Gama Neguma cannot be undervalued. Such programs provide people with satisfaction.

Uva, North Central provinces as well as the North and Eastern Provinces are the poverty belt of Sri Lanka. Colombo centred development pattern was the cause of this state of affairs. However during the past one year a great effort to develop the Eastern Province and other backward regions was made. In the next four to five years we could see a considerable difference in our GDP due to this effort.

At the moment the first place in the GDP was taken by the Western Province, second North Western Province, third Central Province and fourth Southern Province. In the future a definite change in this pattern in the near future under the economic programs of the Government. The peace and development policies of the Government will not only eradicate terrorism but also poverty.

Q: Devolution of power had been discussed as a solution to the national question over the past several decades. The Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam pact was an important landmark in the exercise with powers of land, irrigation and education too to be devolved to the regions. But what is the latest position with regard to devolution of power to the Provinces?

A: As soon as the North and East were liberated from terrorism the question of devolution of power as the solution of the ethnic question will emerge. In the past exercises like the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam, Dudley-Chelanayagam or the J.R.-Rajive Accords were made to resolve the problem. But unfortunately these Accords were not implemented.

Under the circumstances a grave breach of trust of the governments was seen and during the past 50 years people felt that they were cheated by successive governments. Even at present there is a clause in the constitution that could resolve the problem. That is the 13th Amendment.

My view is that the avialble solution should be implemented immediately as a first step. Confidence could be built only if that was done and a new state of things could be evolved in doing so.

Q: It was seen that the major political parties had not made sincere efforts not only to resolve the ethnic issues but also the other national questions. Your comments?

A: In countries like India political parties had arrived at a consensus on national issues. In deciding policy on education, national defence and foreign policy political parties had come to an agreement.

There were only minor differences among them on national issues but in the end they reached a consensus to resolve their problems and they implemented national policy in that manner but unfortunately in our country the agreements were at a very low level.

In building our nation our political parties had not been able to achieve such results and unfortunately the repercussion was that our people had to suffer. Political parties and not the people are responsible for this state of affairs.

The main problem in my view was not extremism but the failure of the two major political parties to work sincerely. The two major political parties who represent 80 per cent of our vote bank had not worked honestly during the past.

It appears that they had worked only to come to power and hold on to power rather than make efforts to resolve the national problems. The only instance in which a consensus between the two major political parties was reached during Sirima-Shastri pact to resolve the problem of the people of Indian origin.

When Madam Bandaranaike came to an agreement with Indian Premier Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri UNP leader Dudley Senanayake gave his unstinted cooperation and that was the only instance of the two major political parties arriving at a consensus on a national issue. If the two major political parties did not cooperate on that issue Prabhakaran’s terrorism would have crept into the upcountry too.

Q: The reason given for the armed conflict to emerge was the national lanuage policy. Have steps been taken even now to resolve this problem?

A: One of the national issues that made the Sri Lankan Tamil people distrust the rulers of the South was the language problem.

The language question was the root cause of our national question. During the British rule English was made the official language of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon. It was in 1833 with the implementation of Colebrook reforms.

Till 1956 when English was replaced with Sinhala for 123 years English continued to be the official language. In 1987 Tamil was made the official language through the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution. Looking back it is my opinion the question of official langauge should have been decided at the stage of the enactment of the Soulbury Constitution or with the dawn of independence.

In the task of nation building soon after independence we failed to give recognition to the demand to have Sinhala and Tamil declared official languages. In the 1950s language was not only a question relating to the media or administration but also an issue affecting employment national identity and dignity, national integration and good governance.

The replacement of English with Sinhala 1956 was a giant step forward in social development of our country.

However it took 39 years to have Tamil also as an official language.

I considered it most appropriate to recall what Dr.Colvin R.de Silva former Minister of Constitutional Affairs mentioned in Parliament.”Two languages one country and one language two countries.”

Tamil langauge was made official language from 1987 but the sad story is it remained in the Statute but was never implemented. With the assumption of Presidency by Mahinda Rajapaksa the subject of official language was assigned to the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided that the official language should come under the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration since provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution had remained unimplemented for nearly 30 years.

The task of implementing as an official language Tamil accordingly came under the purview of my Ministry. Accordingly we have been able to do a lot to make the bilingual official languages possible during the past three years.

Q; You are the chairman of a Select Committee of Parliament appointed to look into the 17th Amendment. What is the present position with regard to the working of that Committee?

A: The objective of the 17th Amendment was to appoint independent commissions like the Constitutional Council. The CC was appointed in March 2003 and its term expired in March 2005.

However all the commissions could not be reappointed due to weaknesses in the 17th Amendment and the Select Committee was appointed to study the 17th Amendment and propose amendments to overcome the weaknesses. Due to crossing over from the Opposition to the Government and vice versa by certain parliamentarians the Select Committee could not meet regularly.

The amendments proposed for the 17th Amendment are now ready. In the course of time two citizens went before the Supreme Court seeking to reappoint the CC.

The Supreme Court directed that the names of persons to be appointed to the CC be brought before the SC on February 10. According to my information the President, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and small parties in Parliament have come to an agreement to give the names of their nominees to the Supreme Court on February 10.

Q: There is wide opposition to the proportional representation system in elections and the public seemed to be wanting a change. A Select Committee of Parliament was appointed to recommend a more suitable electoral system. What is the present position with regard to the final report of the Select Committee?

A: The proportional system is not a suitable electoral system for Sri Lanka. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as the chairman of the Select Committee proposed reforms to the local government election system and it was presented to Parliament as a Bill.

When the Bill was brought before the Supreme Court for a determination the SC held that the Bill should be sent to the Provincial Councils for their concurrence before it was passed by Parliament. The Bill has been referred to the PCs and their concurrence is awaited.