Date:02/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/02/stories/2007050205560100.htm

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Rajapaksa's plan to resolve ethnic crisis

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Abolition of the executive presidency; replacing it with the cabinet system of government led by the Prime Minister subject to consensus; the district as the unit for devolution of powers; and the creation of a bi-cameral legislature — these are highlights of the package proposed by the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The SLFP, the largest party in the governing coalition, the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), has put forward its proposals with the objective of realising "a lasting and honourable solution to the ethnic issue in the country."

To be placed before the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), this package is expected to bring democracy to the people who have been held hostage by terrorist elements in some areas of the North and East, Mr. Rajapaksa said at a May Day rally here on Monday.

Announcing the proposals, the SLFP said that it firmly stood for a negotiated settlement of the political crisis in Sri Lanka based on a scheme of devolution of power

The proposals aim to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, the identities of different communities, and peaceful co-existence among these communities. They recognise the multilingual, multireligious, and multicultural character of Sri Lankan society. There will be strict implementation of the constitutional provision for the use of Sinhala and Tamil as the national languages. Another feature of the package is the promise to establish two independent permanent commissions for land and water.

The SLFP seeks to restore the parliamentary model of Government. While the unit of devolution would be the district, two districts could amalgamate and form one unit. However, the amalgamating units should be in the same geographical division and be contiguous.