Strengthening the Provincial Council System

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), has consistently held that a negotiated political resolution of the ethnic conflict is possible through powersharing. While we await more concrete ideas for constitutional reform along power-sharing lines in the future, it was nonetheless felt that it would be useful to take stock of the operation of the system of devolution under the Thirteenth Amendment in view of the government's policy of its full implementation.

The collaboration between CPA and USAID in the form of the current programme, culminating in this publication, was conceived with this objective in mind as an exercise through which the views and experiences of those who have first-hand knowledge of implementing the Provincial Council system could be brought to light and collated in a systematic manner so as to be of use to policy-makers and constitutional reformers as well as the general public.

The programme itself comprised three stages. Firstly, initial rounds of discussions were held with the Chief Ministers, other elected representatives, and officials of the Provincial Councils. Thereafter, a series of three-day workshops,one for each Provincial Council,followed in which the current realities, effectiveness, challenges and alternatives were identified. Finally, a final workshop bringing together elected representatives and officials from all Provincial Councils was convened so as to (a) agree a final set of common recommendations, and (b) to finalise the recommendations of each Provincial Council. In addition to the above, CPA also prepared a thematic report of issues highlighted in workshops. This publication brings together all of these outputs of the programme. CPA presented a final report on the programme on 28th May 2008, at a 'National Conference on Strengthening the Provincial Council System.'

CPA also hopes to make available the findings generated by the programme and presented in this publication to all political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and the interested public with a view to promoting a wider national dialogue on devolution in general and on the Provincial Council system in particular.
http://www.cpalanka.org/research_papers/FINAL_REPORT_ON_PCs_2008_May_CPA.pdf