JVP blocking Govt. package

Co-chairs add pressure; APRC readies proposals

By Our Political Editor

Government moves to rush devolution proposals whilst militarily crushing the Tiger guerrillas after next Wednesday’s abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement face a major stumbling block in Parliament. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday it would strongly oppose any proposals of the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) aimed at devolving power by enforcing provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

“Changes in the mode of governance should be brought about only in peaceful times. If it is rushed through we will resist it,” JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe told The Sunday Times. His remarks indicated that the JVP was in favour of the LTTE being defeated before any political proposals emerged.

It is not immediately clear whether the tough stance of the JVP came with tacit concurrence of the Government. This is in the light of moves by the political leadership to set the ground for the JVP to return to the Government fold by meeting one of its major demands – the abrogation of the CFA.

Whilst a section of the Government has already gone public with reports that devolution proposals would be based on fully enforcing provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa declared this week that the proposals would be different. Yet, political observers note that even such proposals would have to emerge from the APRC to which the JVP has expressed staunch opposition.

“We consider the APRC as an anachronism, not representative of the free will of the Sri Lankan people. We reject any recommendations made by such a body,” Mr. Amerasinghe said. He declared that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was thrust upon the then Government “by the Indians with their gunboats outside the Colombo Harbour.” He accused India of starting the ethnic war by training, and arming all the separatist groups in “a classic case of cross-border terrorism.”

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) has taken up the position that it was a matter for the Government to sort out differences within itself and come up with a set of proposals. It would be only thereafter that the UNP would study it and respond, he said. As for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, a party spokesman said, it was now part of the law. The signing of the CFA of February 2002 underscored the need to explore an acceptable political settlement that went beyond the 13th Amendment, the spokesman said.

Both the JVP and the UNP are not attending APRC meetings. Almost all APRC parties are supporters of the Government. The APRC members and parliamentarians who backed the Government met President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday. An official announcement said the President “requested the Chairman of the APRC to hand over the final draft of the proposed solutions to him” by January 23.

This new political development came as members of the Tokyo Donor Co-chairs (Norway, Japan, the United States and the European Union) declared it was “their belief that there is no military solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka” and called for an “appropriate role for the UN” in the country in monitoring the human rights situation.

The statement came after envoys of the donor co-chair community held a conference call last Wednesday. The joint statement, issued by Norway, re-iterated their support for a negotiated settlement.  They made a four point plea:

• Urge the Government of Sri Lanka to finalise a politically sustainable devolution plan.

• Urge all parties to comply with their obligations under the international law to protect civilians and allow access by humanitarian aid agencies to populations in need,

• Express deep concern about the human rights situation and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, and call for continued monitoring of the human rights situation by such means as to assure an appropriate role for UN, and

• Request the Government of Sri Lanka to provide access to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Kilinochchi for representatives of the Co-chairs and the facilitator.