NFF on 13th Amendment

The National Freedom Front has requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seriously consider scrapping the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lanka Constitution. The Front requests the President to give an opportunity to the general public to cast their vote at a referendum to end the provincial council system.

In his letter addressed to the President, National Freedom Front Leader and Minister Wimal Weerawansa, alleges that the Indo-Lanka Agreement signed in 1983, was done under threat and by force, while the people were opposing the Provincial Council concept even during that time.

The NFF leader has also observed in his letter that with the unilateral declaration of the North-East Provinces, "as a Separate State" by the then Chief Minister of N/E Provincial Council Vardaraja Perumal, the work of that Provincial Council had come to a dead end.

"We are aware that the Tamil National Alliance" is on the move to go before court to get a riling to pressure the government to establish a northern provincial council.

"We feel that in the event the North goes for polls to set up a northern provincial council, power would go into the hands of the enemies of the nation.

The best course of action to avoid any consequence of establishing a Northern Provincial Council was to take steps to scrap the 13th Amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka and replace it with the district representative system, the minister said.

"We also stress the importance of not creating any room or giving an opportunity to any party or faction to act overpowering or ignoring the constitution of Sri Lanka."

The National Freedom Front has also requested the President to take steps to give an opportunity to the voters at a referendum to decide to end the provincial Council system.