By Siva Parameswaran
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has come in for sharp criticism and condemnation from Tamil political parties of double standards and hoodwinking both the Tamil and Sinhala people over his special statement on the 13th Amendment in Parliament on Wednesday (9).
The idea “Let’s collectively advance the 13th amendment to the Constitution for the betterment of the nation” by the president has been dismissed by the Tamil parties.
Jaffna district MP and senior Tamil lawmaker Sivagnanam Siritharn says the 13th amendment is enshrined in the constitution and there is no reason why it should be so much debated and it just needs implementation in full.
“If what’s in the constitution is not implemented it amounts to contempt of the law book which is the guiding spirit of the country. How can something which is in the Constitution be denied? This is clearly a racist mindset of denying power devolution to the Tamils”.
The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) too has decried the position of the government and has said the 13th Amendment is not a solution to the Tamil ethnic question and devolution of powers. TNPF in a statement signed by both MPs from Jaffna, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Selvarasa Kajendren has reiterated their rejection of the 13th amendment.
“Our organization refuses to accept the 13th Amendment as even a starting p oint to negotiations and insists that if negotiations are to be serious and honest, then the leaders of the Sinhala Nation must tell her people that, a solution can only be accepted by going beyond the Unitary state structure and considering a federal structure and at the same time seeking to constitutionally ensure the unity of the country”
Although not a member of a Tamil political party, Suren Raghavan a National list MP of the ruling bloc said in parliament “The president is committed to implementing 13A in full if the Tamil parties come with one voice”
However, successive Sri Lankan government including the present one under Ranil Wickremesinghe have not taken forward the full implementation of the amendment which ensures devolution of powers to the provinces, in spite of assuring it time and again.
President Wickremasinghe recently said his discussions with the Tamil parties was a failure and police powers as assured in the amendment which is part of the constitution.
Tamils have repeatedly said by not fully implementing all the aspects incorporated in 13A in full they are being denied their rights granted under the constitution.
Sivagnanam Siritharan while recalling 13A grants full powers regarding land and police powers along with health and education.
“By seeking the cooperation of all to implement what’s already in the constitution, the President is trying to relate irrelevant things. Instead of straight away implementing the law, by saying the support of all is needed, he is sending a message to the Sinhala masses, racist Sinhala-Buddhist elements and the core vote bank keeping an eye on the likely presidential election in November. At the same time some Tamil people too think Ranil Wickremesinghe is liberal, talented and good at heart and will do all the things. On that basis they may be inclined to vote for him”.
He further adds that the present president in order to cement his role as the president in the next election has now taken up 13A as a tool to further his electoral prospects.
“Saying that neither he nor the Sinhala people, Sinhala nationalists are in favour of the police powers it is clear that is enacting part of a larger drama to hoodwink everybody. The whole world used to say the most wily fox in Sri Lanka was J.R.Jayawardane and after him his nephew Ranil Wickremesinghe. And now as a cunning fox, he has taken up 13A”.
Adding further the Jaffna district MP says Sinhala leaders including Udaya Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa and grassroots Sinhala nationalists are against implementing the 13A and never wanted the issue to be solved.
“Their only intention is to oppress and rule over the Tamil people and want continuous bloodshed in Sri Lanka and want the issue to be alive”.
Concurring with the strong comments of his colleague, leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance and Colombo district parliamentarian Mano Ganesan questioned the stand of the government about 13A, which is being backed by the party of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“Earlier Mahinda Rajapaksa as president said he is prepared to go beyond 13 and spoke about 13 plus. But his successors although not going with what he said and not granting what is in the governing law book of the nation now speak about 13 minus. This is an affront to the Tamils”.
But President Wickremesinghe in his special statement said if the nation is to progress, problems must be addressed. However, there was a catch:
“The 13th Amendment needs to be implemented in a manner that aligns with our country’s development and future. This can only be achieved if all parliament members come to a consensus after thorough and open-minded discussions”.
He clearly knows there won’t be consensus in this matter with ‘Sinhala racist’ members already expressed their opinion against it. Also, he said a comprehensive arrangement on power devolution could not be arrived at.
Knowing well what the opposition views are he added, “Let’s also abstain from making decisions without considering opposition viewpoints”.
Political analysts say Ranil is very tactfully trying to placate the UN Human Rights Council by painting a picture that the government is serious about addressing the Tamil issue including power devolution on one hand and sending a message to the Sinhala masses that his assurances are just lip service and he is not inclined to implement 13A in full with an eye of his future to retain his role as President in the next elections.
Tamil National Alliance MP and Senior attorney M.A.Sumanthiran questioned him at the last meeting he had with the Tamil parties on power devolution, where the president claimed that Provincial Council elections and power devolution are two different things and wanted to know which one the members wish to discuss first.
Whilst Sumanthiran was emphasizing that both are intertwined Ranil Wickremesinghe disagreed and walked away from the meeting.
