'Sri Lankan reforms package by June-end'

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, JUNE 16. The much-awaited package of Constitutional reforms that envisages devolution to the Tamil and Muslim minorities of Sri Lanka could be up before Parliament within weeks, the State-owned Daily News indicated today.

The newspaper reported that the President, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, had taken a ``firm decision'' not to allow discussions on the reforms to extend beyond June 30.

Mrs. Kumaratunga is under pressure from the minorities to present the package of devolution and other Constitutional reforms to Parliament before it is dissolved this August.

On the other hand, the package, with its radical proposals for devolution, could pose problems for her and the People's Alliance (PA) during the general elections which have to be called before November.

It was not immediately clear whether Mrs. Kumaratunga proposed to hold discussions with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as she had promised in February, before presenting the package to Parliament.

Daily News said the package would be put to Parliament soon after the deadline, whether or not a consensus with the UNP was reached on all the contentious issues.

``It is the opinion of the President that the longer the delay in arriving at a consensus (on the package), the greater are the opportunities for the acts of crime perpetrated by Prabhakaran. Accordingly, the President has decided very firmly that discussions will not be extended beyond June 30th under any circumstances whatsoever,'' it declared.

Earlier this week, there was a breakthrough in Government- Opposition talks when the two sides resolved their differences over the unit of devolution and agreed to set up one interim council to rule over the north-east, with a referendum later to decide the issue of merger of the two provinces. The proposal, which has yet to be formalised, is awaiting the approval of the Tamil parties.

The main outstanding issues now between the PA and the UNP are control over land use, and the nature of the Sri Lankan State.

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