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JHU firmly against the 13th Amendment plus pledge to India
Thursday, 2 February 2012 - 9:21 AM SL Time
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Media spokesman of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Nishantha Warnasinghe said that his party is against the 13th Amendment plus and a Senate as a solution to the North and East issue. The 13th Amendment plus or the formation of a Senate could be the stance taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Everyone is entitled to their views and opinion. So this 13 plus concept could be the president s vision in the form of a solution to the North-East issue. But as the JHU, we do not toe that line. If the powers vested in parliament are lessened through the creation of a Senate, then we need to think twice of such a concept.
Excerpts:
The government has been contemplating the formation of a Senate or even going beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as a means of providing a solution to the ethnic issue. What is the stance of the JHU in this regard?
As far as the JHU is concerned there are a few angles that we are considering. Concerning what has been allegedly promised to the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, before opting for a solution beyond the 13th Amendment, the government needs to implement or activate the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in its entirety. Before thinking of going beyond the 13th Amendment, what is already there must be activated. First, as the JHU, as one of our main policies, does not accept the Provincial Council system.
Second, the Provincial Council system was established here forcibly.
It was forced down the throats of the people by the political establishment of the country at the time. According to the law there is provision for people to opt out of certain clauses or acts which are forced on them. This law is applicable even to agreements.
Do you think that the international community is constantly pressurizing the government to devolve power to the North and East?
Yes. Today President Mahinda Rajapaksa functions in a highly pressurized atmosphere. On one side the western nations are bringing war crimes and human rights charges against us, and on the other, India continues to exert pressure on the president concerning the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
If the president has agreed to any of the demands made by India, then he would have done so due to extreme pressure that would have been exerted by the Indians. What we can see is that India is clearly out to destabilize this country politically at a time when they should be supporting the little neighbour that is being gripped by so many charges levelled by the international lobby.
But India helped us to wipe out the LTTE.
No doubt India supported us during the war effort against the LTTE.
But we too were able to wipe out terrorism from this land. Or else the scourge of terrorism would have become a threat to India as well. There is a Parliamentary Select Committee that has been appointed to look into these issues and India or any western power can make representations on how the government should proceed on such matters.
What is your party s view on having the 13th Amendment plus and a Senate?
If the government were to implement the 13th Amendment merely to appease India, the western nations or the TNA, then the consequences of such a move could be severe not just politically but in other ways too.
As far as the Senate is concerned the government has not yet discussed it with us. So we are not aware of the modalities. So far, within the Provincial Council system, land or police powers have not been given. The JHU is firm in its stance that police powers should not be given under any circumstances.
And the president is yet to talk with the JHU as to what the 13th Amendment plus is all about. All these mechanisms should be discussed at the Parliamentary Select Committee.
Why has the government promised India the 13th Amendment plus and a Senate without consulting its coalition parties?
As far as we are concerned we are still in the dark. The government may have briefed the Indian External Affairs Minister or the TNA but they are yet to brief us. We are unaware as to how it is composed or how the Senate will be formed or what powers will be vested. Hence, we are unable to shed light on topics on which we are still clueless. We are not even sure of the 13th Amendment plus mentioned by the president or what he has meant by it. As far as we know none of the other constituent parties of the UPFA are aware of the 13th Amendment plus or the president s thinking on those lines.
If the 13th Amendment plus is provided to appease India would the JHU oppose it?
We have already told the government that the JHU will be participating at the Parliamentary Select Committee meetings. We say that all political parties represented in parliament should be a part of these meetings so that all could discuss these issues. It should go for a referendum after reaching an agreement through meetings or discussions. And it is something else if certain acts are to be implemented to please foreign powers and minority political parties.
But the TNA has already said that they are not content with the formation of the Parliamentary Select Committee and they charge that it is only a time wasting tactic?
One thing must be told to the TNA. The TNA must never be allowed to hijack this country according to their whims and fancies. Parliament is currently being represented by political parties that have gained around 96 per cent of the mandate of the masses. If the UNP or any of the other political parties can attend the Select Committee and on the other hand if the TNA is seen to be backing down, then that alone shows their stance on this issue.
The government should not give into the unreasonable demands of the TNA.
The TNA at one time danced to Prabakaran s tunes. If they continue to make unfair demands they should be put in their place and told to either put up with or get out.
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