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APC on 13A: SLPP rebels reject President’s latest endeavour, ask govt. to speak with one voice
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Rebel SLPP MP Prof. Charitha Herath yesterday (24) urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to reach a consensus with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and the ruling SLPP, regarding the post-war reconciliation process and devolution proposals before convening another All-Party Conference (APC).
Herath said so addressing the media at their Nawala office. He stressed that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government should speak with one voice on this matter.
He said the APC summoned for 26 July at the Presidential Secretariat would be an exercise in futility. The President called the APC following his latest consultations with the Indian leadership.
President Wickremesinghe is on record as having said that he will consult all political parties represented in Parliament regarding the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Alleging that the proposed APC was meant to woo Tamil votes, Prof. Herath said that no useful purpose would be served by such acts of political expediency. The MP said that the President’s latest endeavor should be boycotted. Prof. Herath said that President Wickremesinghe, Premier Dinesh Gunawardena and SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam repeatedly gave contradictory views on the 13th Amendment.
Prof. Herath said that President Wickremesinghe, whose UNP with just one seat backed full implementation of the 13th Amendment whereas Premier Gunawardena’s party, MEP with three seats, didn’t like it. The SLPP with about 90 MPs, too, didn’t accept the full implementation of the controversial Amendment, Prof. Herath said, pointing out that the SLPP General Secretary had clearly stated their stand on this matter.
Herath pointing out the contradictions said that Wckremesinghe during his tenure as the yahapalana Premier crippled Provincial Councils. Having done so, Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the President, wanted to devolve powers to the PCs, he said.
Emphasizing that Wickremesinghe elected to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five –year term won at the last presidential poll conducted in Nov 2019 had no right to enter into far reaching agreements with India or any other country, MP Herath urged the Opposition not to be deceived by the Wickremesinghe political strategy.
Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 22.07.2024 to publish the draft bill of State Assets Management Act in the government gazette notification and thereby present it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
However, the draft bill couldn’t be passed in Parliament as a result of the Parliament being dissolved in the month of October 2024.
Thereafter, the draft bill was subject to further inspection by a
committee appointed which comprised of officials and authorities on the subject.
The said Committee has recognized the amendments to be made and a fundamental draft has been prepared including the proposed amendments.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to suspend further activities regarding the draft bill of State Assets Management Act published in the extraordinary gazette of 02.08.2024, and to direct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill based on the fundamental draft prepared by the subject specialists’ committee.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
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