Country should not go for devolution at this stage - SB

Chaminda Perera

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake while stressing that police and land powers should not be delegated to the Provincial Councils, yesterday stressed that time is not appropriate to go for a devolution of power at this stage.

Speaking at a press conference at the Higher Education Ministry, Dissanayake said though he was an ardent supporter of the devolution of power, it was not appropriate for such a move right now.

The minister said the LTTE sowed the genesis of separatism among the Northern youths.

"The youths in the North listened to the LTTE radio, watched LTTE TV and heard stories of separatism from birth," he said.

Minister Dissanayake said these voices of separatism are still active internationally and some elements among the international community were working overtime to promote their ideals.

"It is with this intention that these international elements are maintaining political parties such as the Tamil National Alliance," he said.

Dissanayake said the country should not go for a devolution of power at this stage under these circumstances.

He said massive development was taking place in every nook and corner of the country and every Sri Lankan feels that the country has taken massive strides in the economy through the measures taken by the Central Government.

"Inflation has been retained at single digit level and unemployment has dropped drastically," he said.

The Higher Education Minister said the North Provincial Council election should be held as soon as possible and the people in the North should be given an opportunity to elect the representatives of their choice.

He said it was time to re-think the present Constitution.

"The Indian Constitution has provisions to act as a unitary country when national security and the territorial integrity is at stake whereas the Sri Lanka Constitution does not have such provisions," he said.

"The former President was helpless after the EPRLF leader declared the Eastern province an independent state," he said.

Minister Dissanayake added that Sri Lankans did not use their centuries old relationship with Tamil and Muslim communities to build reconciliation. Leaders like former President J.R. Jayewardene and former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike had Tamil origins but they did not use this relationship to promote closer links between the communities, he said.