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Govt firm on devolution, APRC
Friday, 18 January 2008 - 12:36 PM SL Time
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General Secretary of the SLFP and Agricultural Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena re-affirmed the Government`s firm stand of devolving power and implementing the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) proposals due shortly.
Minister Sirisena made this affirmation when he addressed the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium in Narahenpita yesterday.
He said that on the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to APRC Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana, the APRC proposals would be presented to the President on January 23.
The proposals would thereafter be presented to the Cabinet, party leaders and following the appropriate amendments where necessary, they would be presented to the people.
`In the backdrop of diverse views and theories in the political arena, we are determined to devolve power and implement the APRC proposals,` Minister Sirisena asserted.
The Minister pointed out that in the aftermath of the explosion in Buttala and the massacre of innocent unarmed civilians by the LTTE, the Nation will rally round the Security Forces to protect the country and its people.
`The people will not take hasty decisions like in 1983, but would act prudently to consolidate the Armed Forces in maintaining law and order to protect the nation.
`If the LTTE assumed that they could belittle, intimidate and de-moralise the Armed Forces by such barbaric acts, they are sadly mistaken, ` the minister added.
Responding to questions from journalists pertaining to the proper representation of all parties at the APRC, Minister Sirisena pointed out that the initial APRC sessions were well represented by all major and minor parties, including the UNP and the JVP, who withdrew at a later stage due diverse views and notions.
The Government from its very inception and within one week of assumption of power, invited all Tamil parties to join in the peace talks and the APRC sessions. nevertheless, it was the LTTE who had consistently run away from the talks.
`The Government however would make sure that the proposals are acceptable by all parties and communities prior to implementation,` he added.
Refuting claims that the international diaspora was concerned about the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), Minister Sirisena said that all these claims were heresy and not based on official statements of the countries concerned.
He further stated that the escalation of violence by the LTTE, could not be attributed to the abrogation of the CFA per se, as these atrocities of the LTTE were prevalent even during the time the CFA was in operation.
Media and Information Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena also addressed the briefing.
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Ramz
Joined: Jul 2007
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 20 Jan 2008 08:06:03 GMT Report for Abuse
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Devolving Power!!
its just a dream Mr. Sirisena... APRC is just a waste of time and money.... JHU and JVP won't let MR to implement APRC's outcome if it was to solve the conflict in a political basis..... |
Thambi
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 20 Jan 2008 08:15:06 GMT Report for Abuse
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Govt firm on devolution, APRC
all party ? did they include tamils into it ? i did not mean Sangaree or Dougless . |
Thambi
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20 Jan 2008 08:20:08 GMT Report for Abuse
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Quotes on APRC Effort
Gajendrakumar: The SLFP proposals took a good one and a half years to be unveiled. Now the APRC can deliberate for many more moons to give sufficient time for the Sri Lankan Government?s military project to be unveiled.
Dr Saravanamuttu: There is no clear policy from government on the issue of a constitutional settlement or sense of urgency with regard to acquiring one even through the APC process, begging the question of as to whether the process is about being seen to be doing something and about buying time and not much else.
S.P. Thamilchelvan (deceased): APRC exercise is a political drama to dress-up unitary constitution. Dr Edirisinha: SLFP proposals are potentially dangerous for democracy, good governance and the existence of independent institutions...demonstrates that those responsible for the proposals are completely out of touch with the realities of constitutional reform for conflict resolution. Kaviyalahan (TEPRC): Rajapakse, upon failing to meet the committments given by Sri Lanka delegation at Geneva I, has adopted a 'choking tactic' to stifle current trajectory towards peace by launching a one-sided expert panel, to waylay the International Community, and to avoid Geneva II.
Scrapping of the CFA, and dissolution of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) were two of the four demands put forward by the JVP in November for supporting the budget of Rajpakse Government.
CFA was annuled, on January 2nd, after Gotabhaya Rajapakse, brother of Sri Lanka's President, in an interview to state owned Daily News said that the Government would 'give a solution' to the Tamil people after proscribing the LTTE and abolishing the CFA.
But, dismantling APRC, will carry a bigger political cost, as it serves as the only available instrument that gives a veneer of respectability to the Government of Sri Lanka's bonafides towards its peace project. The following events illustrate why it is useful to Sri Lanka to keep the chimerical APRC alive while pursuing the military agenda:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=24196 |
wick
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 768
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 20 Jan 2008 09:54:10 GMT Report for Abuse
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Govt firm on devolution, APRC
Mr. MR do not betray us. Don't be another Ponniah.
Do not think any Damn thing till we KILL Pakaran.
I want to see him and his family get killed like pigs in Negombo.
If every Sinhalese would given a chance to hack the bugger I will definitely go all the way to Sri Lanka to hack the bastard.
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