PA, UNP to meet again on reforms

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, JUNE 30. The ruling People's Alliance and the opposition United National Party, which met today for what were to be the final consultations on constitutional reforms decided to hold one more round of talks next Friday to finalise the document.

The two chapters that remain to be discussed by the two sides are the provisions for transitory arrangements before the new Constitution can take effect, and the lists of subjects under the ``Centre and the Regions'' concept, a participant in the discussions said.

However, the most contentious issues between the two sides have been resolved. Of these, arguably the thorniest was the unit of devolution. The two parties opted to set up an interim council to administer the north-east, with the proviso that at the end of five years, a referendum would be held on the merger of the two provinces.

In case conditions to hold a free and fair referendum do not exist, the north and east would automatically become two separate provinces. This could be interpreted as effectively a decision to put off the separation of the two provinces.

The question of the nature of state is also out of the way with the decision taken by the two sides earlier this week that the Sri Lankan Republic will, under the new Constitution, comprise a Centre and Regions.

``The formulation that was agreed upon recognises the fact that the Republic consists of the Centre and Regions, that the legislative powers and executive powers of the republic are distributed between the centre and the regions and that the unity and the territorial integrity of the republic is maintained while devolving powers to the regions,'' a joint communique issued by the President's Secretariat said.

Meanwhile, in an interview to a London-based Tamil journal, the representative of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), Mr. Anton Balasingham, categorically rejected the devolution package as a solution to Tamil aspirations.

``The LTTE will not accept this package because it has nothing substantial to form the foundation for a permanent solution to the Tamil national question. It fails to address the key demands or the national aspirations of the Tamil people as articulated in the cardinal principles of the Thimpu declarations. The LTTE will not study or comment on any package or proposals that tends to ignore the key issues of self- determination and nationhood of the Tamil people,'' he said.

The President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, recently said the LTTE could participate in the proposed interim council if it gave up its ``terrorist'' and ``murderous'' ways and joined the democratic mainstream.

Indicating that the LTTE would not allow the interim council to function, Mr. Balasingham said the Government was living in a ``fool's paradise''.

``The LTTE controls more than 70 per cent of the landmass of the Tamil homeland. We are also confident that we will take control of the Jaffna peninsula in the near future... We are not that stupid to seek a few seats in a temporary administrative set- up... The north-eastern provincial administration could not function even under the might of the Indian army. The Kumaratunga administration is mooting ludicrous ideas for the solution of the ethnic conflict completely disregarding the stark realities of the ground situation in the north-east,'' he said.

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