Divergent views on the TNA’s stance in the Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee:
Holding divergent views on the TNA’s representation in the Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee, former Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said, in a situation where all the basic demands put forward by the TNA were rejected, the two TNA MPs R.Sampanthan and M.A.Sumanthiran should quit the Steering Committee and begin fresh talks with the Government, to reach a consensus. When a consensus is reached on basic matters, the duo can continue in the Steering Committee or the Constitutional Council and those matters further improved or incorporated into the new Constitution or desired amendments made. However, the Opposition Leader and TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said, this is entirely the view expressed by Suresh Premachandran, and added that it is a matter on which the TNA as a party will have to take a decision, in due course.
Former TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told the Sunday Observer:
 Suresh Premachandran Pic: Lake House Media Library |
“There are media reports that discussions are underway on constitutional changes. TNA Leader R. Sampanthan and TNA Parliamentarian M. A.Sumanthiran are in the Constitutional Council as well as the Constitutional Steering Committee. The TNA put forward a few basic demands to resolve the Tamil national question which includes the merger of the North and the East. The North and the East were merged consequent on the Indo-Lanka accord, and later, demerged.
The TNA calls for a North-East merged political administrative unit. According to the 2015 election manifesto, the TNA called for a federal constitution and requested the Government to accept the self determination of the Tamil people. The TNA also said, Sri Lanka should be a secular state, but all these demands were rejected by the Government. We came to know that no one took up these matters in the Constitutional Steering Committee.
In such a situation where all the basic demands were rejected or not accepted, what is the point of being in the Steering Committee? That is why we tell the two TNA members in the Steering Committee, Sampanthan and Sumanthiran that there is no point being in it and ask them to come out of it and discuss the important matters with the Government”.
Premachandran said, “the Government is represented by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Therefore, the TNA should discuss with them and come to some understanding. Once they reach an understanding on the basic issues, they can be in the Steering Committee or the Constitutional Council and such matters can be improved or incorporated into the new Constitution or amendments made to the Constitution”.
He said, “the TNA put forward some basic issues and demands which may be refused by the Government. Even TNA Spokesperson Sumanthiran said, the merger of the North and East is not acceptable to the Government. Both, the President and the Prime Minister have clearly said, they are for a unitary constitution and not for a federal one. Of course they said Buddhism will be the foremost religion in the country. All these things are against the TNA’s demands.. Sampanthan and Sumanthiran are the only two members representing the Tamils on behalf of the TNA in the 21 member Constitutional Steering Committee. So I don’t think it is easy for them to discuss matters within that committee.
Therefore, it would be better to have a separate dialogue, especially, with the President and the Prime Minister as they are the leaders of the Government. If Sampanthan and Sumanthiran could come to some understanding or conclusion with the President and the Premier, it will be easier for them to take forward this matter even in the Constitutional Council or the Steering Committee. That is our stand”.
Opposition Leader and TNA Leader R.Sampanthan told the Sunday Observer:
“Any person has a right to express his view and we can’t stop a person from expressing his view. This is the view expressed by Suresh Premachandran.. I can’t stop him from saying what he wants to say. But, this is a matter which the TNA will have to take a decision on, in due course. I would like the whole party to take a decision regarding this. But, my view is that Suresh Premachandran’s position is not called for, at present.
The TNA will take a decision with regard to the matter as a party. I can’t comment on what is going on at the Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee right now. When the matter comes up in Parliament, we will probably express our views”.
Meanwhile, Premachandran at a recent media briefing held at the Jaffna Media Society had demanded that the Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan who is also the TNA Leader and TNA Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran should resign from the Constitutional Steering Committee and begin fresh talks with the Government. He had said that Sampanthan and Sumanthiran had opted not to speak out when the Government had stated that the North and East would not be merged and Buddhism would be given the foremost place.
He said, the Government had ignored the aspirations of the Tamil people and the demands made by the TNA for power devolution and the need to uphold the rights of the Tamils. Premachandran had further said, the Tamils had extended their support to the President with the hope of winning their rights through a new Constitution. He had told the media that it was shameful for Tamil leaders to remain in the Steering Committee to draft a new Constitution.
He had said, the position of the TNA was that talks on a political solution should precede the discourse on constitutional proposals and this has not taken place.
Premachandran had further said: “Sampanthan and Sumanthiran are the only two members representing the Tamils on behalf of the TNA in the 21-member Constitutional Steering Committee.
UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has openly said, Sampanthan has not demanded a federal solution or to merge the North-East, at the Steering Committee sittings. The President and Prime Minister have said no to a federal solution.
The UNP, SLFP and the JVP have passed resolutions at their party meetings demanding to preserve the unitary system and the foremost place given to Buddhism. They have also demanded that there should be no merger of the North and East.Instead of taking up the matter with the parties constituting the TNA and taking a clear stand by quitting the Steering Committee, the duo has completely taken a collaborative line with the Government”.
Reliable sources confirmed that the three-day parliamentary debate on constitutional proposals has been postponed as some political parties sought further time to come up with their stand. Earlier, the debate had been scheduled for January 9, 10 and 11. The Steering Committee working out constitutional proposals met on Thursday (January 5). Despite, there being considerable agreement on constitutional proposals, some parties had asked two more weeks to study the reports submitted by the six subcommittees.Therefore, the proposed debate on the constitutional proposals has been postponed by two weeks.
The Steering Committee appointed by the Constitutional Assembly chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met on Thursday(January 5) to finalize the draft Constitution. Earlier, it had been decided to present the Steering Committee report to the Constitutional Assembly and debate it on January 9, 10 and 11 if consensus was reached during the two-day meeting scheduled on January5 and 6 The Report is based on the six sub-committee reports on Fundamental Rights, the Judiciary, Law and Order, Public Service, Public Finance and Centre-Periphery Relations which were presented to Parliament in November last year. The 21-member Steering Committee constituting representatives of all political parties in Parliament has been directly deliberating on core subject areas pertaining to the nature of the state, form and structure of government, principles of devolution, religion, electoral reforms and land.