GOVERNMENT HAS OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE SINCERITY

The entrenched nature of the problems of ethnic conflict and governance in Sri Lanka necessitates a national effort to overcome them that transcends party politics. The vast majority of people in the country would welcome a bipartisan political approach that would ensure good governance and conflict resolution. Virtually all political parties have also expressed their support for such an initiative. In this context, the meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has sparked hopes of a fresh effort to obtain a bipartisan political approach to the problems of governance in the country. The two issues that have taken centre stage in these discussions are the implementation of the 13th and 17th Amendments to the constitution.

The 13th Amendment recently came to the public limelight on account of it being recommended as an interim solution to the ethnic conflict by the All Parties Representatives Committee appointed by the President. Although the 13th Amendment, which provided for the devolution of power to elected provincial councils was passed by Parliament in 1987, it has not been fully implemented in any of the provinces, and not been implemented at all in the two war-affected provinces of the north and east.

The 17th Amendment, on the other hand, was passed in 2001, and seeks to ensure the de-politicisation of appointments to key state institutions, including the public service, judiciary and police. However it has not been implemented for the past four years which has led to an erosion of good governance and to a loss of public confidence in the integrity of key state institutions. Since all other political parties have done their part, the immediate constituting of the Constitutional Council by the President who is the final authority will be a key indicator of the government’s sincerity of purpose.

The National Peace Council urges the government to follow up the meeting between the two leaders by taking steps to implement the two constitutional amendments. The implementation of the 17th Amendment at this time will also be a confidence building measure with regard to the government’s sincerity in implementing the 13th Amendment. The continuing reliance on war as the primary means of conflict resolution can be diminished to the extent that a viable political proposal that addresses the ethnic conflict is implemented. In this context we see the presentation and implementation of genuine devolution based on the 13th Amendment within the existing constitution as a starting point in getting the political process restored in the north and east and in renewing hope that there is an alternative to war.