Amendments to 13-A only via PSC NPC poll would be held as scheduled

by Dasun Edirisinghe-June 19, 2013

The government yesterday said that any alterations to the 13th amendment would be effected only via the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to be set up. It requested other parties to take part in PSC proceedings. That move, it added, was in keeping with the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations.

Addressing a media conference at the party headquarters in Colombo, SLFP Senior Vice President and Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the main Opposition UNP and the Tamil National Alliance had not nominated their members to the PSC and that was why there was a delay in setting it up.

Minister de Silva said however that the Northern, North Western and Central Provincial Council elections would be held as scheduled and they would not be affected by the amending of the 13th Amendment.

Asked to comment on the allegation that the government had not invited the UNP to take part in the PSC, Minister de Silva said that the invitation had been extended by the Speaker to all parties at a party leaders’ meeting attended by UNP MP John Amaratunga.

The SLFP was to appoint the PSC on Tuesday, but the UNP had asked for two weeks to decide whether to attend it or not, the Minister said. "We can form a PSC and proceed, but the SLFP needs to go ahead in a very democratic manner with the participation of the TNA and the UNP." Minister de Silva said that a solution to Sri Lanka’s international problem should come from within.

He said that the Sri Lankan government was capable enough to handle internal matters.

SLFP General Secretary and Health Minister Maithripala Sririsena, SLFP Vice President and Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and SLFP Treasurer and Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dallas Alahapperuma also attended the media conference.