Dangerous Games With Devolution

By M A Sumanthiran -June 26, 2013

M A Sumanthiran

The Government of Sri Lanka recently revealed its agenda to further restrict minority freedoms and autonomy in the country. It seeks to: (1) repeal constitutional provisions granting people the freedom to determine administrative boundaries (2) amend the Constitution, so as to permit the Central government to freely and arbitrarily legislate on provincial matters — even without the consent of the people of a particular province and (3) remove altogether provincial powers over land and police. These constitutional features were first introduced through the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, constituent to the Indo-Lanka Accordof 1987. Hence, the government’s agenda is in fact to dilute the Thirteenth Amendment.

Dangerous Games With Devolution by nelvely