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Geneva 51 session: Wimal questions legitimacy of India’s call for implementation of 13 A
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The National Freedom Front (NFF) has urged the government and the Opposition to resist a move by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to haul up the war winning Sri Lankan military before foreign judges.NFF leader and former Minister Wimal Weerawansa also raised the issue of India reiterating its demand for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, forced upon the country by Delhi in 1987 and now its full implementation at the ongoing 51 regular session of the UNHRC.
Weerawansa questioned the legitimacy in a member state exerting pressure on another to amend its Constitution. He the Indian move was not only contrary to the Vienna Convention but exceeded the mandate of the UNHRC.Strongly condemning the UNHRC move against the Sri Lankan military and India playing politics at Geneva session, MP Weerawansa said that all local stakeholders should condemn these moves in the strongest terms.
Lawmaker Weerawansa said that the government delegation at Geneva hadn’t countered the measures that had been proposed against the Sri Lankan military. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, leads the delegation. Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in Geneva C.A. Chandraprema are included in the delegation.
Responding to a query raised by The Island, MP Weerawansa said that Sri Lanka should have asked for an opportunity to counter accusations after having denounced the unsubstantiated allegations.Sri Lanka co-sponsored Geneva Resolution 30/1 in Oct 2015 during Maithripala Sirisena presidency.
The former minister said that successive governments hadn’t properly countered war crimes allegations though over the years authorities received information by way of studies undertaken by the government, Lord Naseby’s disclosures and WikiLeaks revelations.MP Weerawansa asked whether Geneva was only interested in Sri Lanka’s accountability.Having sponsored terrorism here, India was pursuing a strategy inimical to Sri Lanka, the former minister said.
NPP Parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala who was appointed the 22nd Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on 21st November has resigned from his position today [13], in the wake of the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed members to the Port City Economic Commission.
Accordingly Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, has been appointed as the Chairman while Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr. Harsha Subasinghe were appointed as members of the Port City Economic Commission
The official letters of appointment were handed over to the members by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (13).
“We will not allow the trust the people have placed in us to be undermined in any way,” stated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting with the heads of state media today (13).
He further emphasised, “Regardless of their status in government, if mistakes are made, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The President further explained:
“For more than seven decades, the people of this nation have built and dismantled various governments. For the first time, we stand with a profound understanding of the historic mandate entrusted to us and the National People’s Power on two occasions.
The people placed their faith in the National People’s Power (NPP) government, hoping for a standardised and stable country. We will not tarnish that extraordinary trust, even by the slightest misconduct.
Simply put, our government is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face consequences. We will not hesitate to act decisively and at the right time. In essence, our government will not shield anyone who makes a mistake, regardless of the reason. Whether the mistake occurs within the country or at any level within our government, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. Every necessary step will be taken at the appropriate time without delay.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the trust placed in them by the people, who have endured decades of deception. He pledged to work tirelessly to build a better nation.
The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Director-General of Government Information, Harsha Bandara, and the heads of state media were present at the meeting.
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