Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama asserted yesterday that foreign diplomats had endorsed APRC proposals as a positive beginning for seeking sustainable peace.
Addressing the media, Bogollagama said he had taken steps to brief the diplomatic community including the Co-Chairs and the Indian HC, immediately after President Mahinda Rajapaksa received the set of proposals officially, from APRC Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitarana.
“In assessing these proposals, it is important that the international community recognise that these are not proposals aimed at meeting the demands of the LTTE, but at meeting the aspirations of the long suffering people of the North and East.
Its significant that these are implementable steps in a continuing process for greater devolution of power, with the objective of achieving a final and durable political settlement acceptable to all communities in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Hailing the effort as a historic step in Sri Lanka’s 60 years of independence, where consensus was reached to devolve power to the North and East through a democratic consultation, the Minister said all parties who participated in the process had attributed the success to the pragmatic leadership of President Rajapaksa and to the untiring efforts of Prof.Vitarana.
Elaborating on the proposals, he said these would include full implementation of relevant provisions of the present Constitution. It has also sought to identify a course of action to achieve maximum and effective devolution of power to the provinces to meet the aspirations of the minorities including the Tamil speaking people and other communities, especially ones living in the North and East, he noted.
Elaborating on the basic steps envisaged to overcome the existing shortcomings with regard to devolution of power, the Minister said that implementing the 13th Amendment fully was one such factor. Overcoming shortcomings especially through adequate funding of the Provincial Councils was another important aspect.
Holding elections in the East should also be considered a priority..
Also envisaged is the full implementation of Chapter Four of the Constitution on language which includes recruitment according to ethnic proportions. He further added that it was a new approach and a pragmatic way forward following a series of failed attempts.
The momentum generated by working together, would enable all communities to build trust, which is a pre-requisite to embark on greater reforms he added. While describing the APRC as a continuing process in exploring additional proposals the Minister said that the proposals had received the concurrence of all stakeholders and they were awaiting a positive response from other parties as well.
He added it was the duty of all who value democracy and humanity to support the process to achieve sustainable peace and ethnic harmony in the country.
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