by Mirudhula Thambiah in The Morning, Jan 17, 2023
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman and MP, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran said yesterday (16) that it is absurd for any Head of State to declare that he would implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution after 35 years of the adoption of said Amendment, which established the Provincial Councils system of governance and power devolution.
The MP was referring to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement on 15 January during the national Thai Pongal festival that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution would be fully implemented in two years’ time.
“Our position is that it is the Constitution. There is no point in continuing to implement the Constitution after 35 years. It is absurd for every Government to be saying that they will implement the Constitution,” he added. Sumanthiran said that the Constitution is there to be strictly adhered to.
“We told them, implement all provisions with regard to power sharing that already exist in the Constitution. It may be the 13th Amendment, the 16th Amendment (administrative languages), or whatever – all provisions with regard to power sharing should be implemented immediately, because they have not been implemented. For that, you don’t need time, you just can do what is necessary to do, and that is why we gave them an ultimatum saying that by today (17), they should do it,” he added.
He noted that his party would wait until today and see the decisions of the Government in regard to the one week ultimatum given on 10 January after the meeting with the Government where the former said that the party had given a one-week ultimatum to address the issues with regard to the release of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) prisoners, missing persons and the release of occupied lands.
https://www.themorning.lk/articles/F3lQq24B3ji7Taqkxcue
