By

Ranga Jayasuriya

(The government’s strongman in Jaffna, Minister Douglas Devanada says the president has expressed his commitment to ‘the 13th Amendment Plus’ as the solution to the national question. The president proposed it and I am for it,” he said. He spoke to Ranga Jayasuriya of LAKBIMAnEWS about a wide-range of issues including how influential he is within the government.)

Q.Some influential personalities of the government, some of whom are very close to the president are calling for the abolition of the 13th Amendment. What do you think of this?

A.
This is a coalition government and there are various groups in this government and they have different opinions and different agendas. We cannot help that. There are others who are also in the government, who share a totally different ideology as well. People such as Rajitha Senaratne and Dilan Perera have aired totally different opinions (in favour of the 13th Amendment). The majority of the people within the government are overwhelmingly in favour of the 13th amendment. The president did not state in his budget speech that the 13th Amendment should be abolished. He only suggested that there should be changes.

What were the changes the president was referring to? Many observers tend to think that the president is advocating that the powers granted to the Provincial Councils be curtailed. What is your opinion on this?
From the very beginning, the president said he supported ‘13 Plus.’ In my opinion, what he said was referring to the strengthening of the 13th Amendment, rather than weakening it.

Those who are clamouring for the abolition of the 13th Amendment, such as Wimal Weerawansa and Champika Ranawaka are your good friends. You appeared to share similar ideas in most subjects during the war and its aftermath. Have you talked to them about their intentions, or have they talked to you?
I have not discussed this matter with them, but I will talk to them very soon.

We have Provincial Councils in eight provinces, but not in the North, which is where the idea was first mooted. How do you view this situation?

The president has already stated that the government would soon hold elections in the North. Did he not?

But isn’t it rather strange that the government held a Presidential Election, a General Election and a Local Government Election in the North, most of which were won by the government or your party, but the government is dilly-dallying over holding a Provincial Council Election in the North?
There may have been several elections, but this is a new election, isn’t it? This is related to the devolution of powers, and there are problems related to the 13th Amendment and there are people who are still displaced. So we should first create a conducive environment and resettle the people.

But many others feel that the government is delaying the election because it does not want the TNA to win the Northern Provincial Council. What are your views in this regard?
They may think so, but it is only a figment of their imagination.

You may have read in newspapers, including ours, that Wimal Weerawansa’s party and the UNP have met and discussed to bring in a 19th Amendment, which envisages to abolish the 13th Amendment.
The story is there and the talks are going over. This is devolution, no? It does not matter whether it is the 13th Amendment or the 19th Amendment. What we need is meaningful devolution.

Do you think whatever the ongoing initiatives, such as Wimal Weerawansa’s campaign for the abolishing of the 13th Amendment or the reported discussions involving the UNP, would affect the process of devolution?
As I said earlier, there are several parties in the government. They may have differences of opinion in different issues. This is a democratic set up and we will discuss and come to a solution. This, I think is the opinion of Wimal and Champika as well.

Do you think the president can withstand the pressure emanating from the constituent parties of his government? They are close confidantes of the president as well.
I think the president would take the right decision. He would look into the needs of all the parties. He would discuss issues with them.

But when the president’s brother, the all powerful Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that the 13th Amendment must be abolished, it may seem that the president is condoning such a view?
But, later Keheliya Rambukwella (Cabinet spokesman) said that the government had no intention of abolishing the 13th Amendment. That is the official government position.

But, earlier Keheliya Rambukwella said the government had no intention to impeach the chief justice. Within two weeks, the government tabled a resolution to impeach her…
Perhaps the government might have changed its position on the chief justice. But, the president said in his budget speech: I quote, “a change in the prevailing Provincial Council system is necessary to make devolution more meaning to the people.” Perhaps, Gota may have meant the same.

Are you aware of any of the changes that the president is suggesting?
I have a hunch. I met the president on the day of the budget. There, the president briefed me about what he is suggesting.

What did he say?
I went and greeted him and expressed my gratitude for his speech in which he expressed his support to the 13th Amendment, at a time where there are calls by some quarters to abolish the 13th Amendment. The president himself called for the strengthening of the 13th Amendment. So that is the official position of the government. The 13th Amendment was introduced to address the concerns of Tamil people. The concerns of the people in the North are different from those of the people in the South. Therefore, only after the 13th Amendment is implemented in the North can we identify the problematic areas in relation to the implementation of the Amendment, rectify it and move forward.

Are there any plans within the government to devolve power? Because it is three years since the end of the war, and there appears to be no real programme to devolve power.
That is why our government has set up a Parliamentary Select Committee. I proposed the committee and the president also proposed. It did not work, because others have different opinions. If the government proposes a solution, it would be unilateral, that is why we proposed the Parliamen- tary Select Committee. But unfortunately, the TNA is not participating in it. There had been many opportunities in the past; the TNA had squandered all those opportunities.

You said there were opportunities in the past. Many others would say that those opportunities were squandered by the government.
Not by the government. I don’t want to flatter the government, nor do I want to criticise Tamil parties. My experience is that after the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement, there was a conducive environment for a political solution. But unfortunately, Tamil parties due to vested interests did not make use of those opportunities, such as talks with (Presidents) Premadasa, and Chandrika, Ranil and even with the current president.

What would happen to the PSC? If the TNA does not attend, would it be a non-event?
If the TNA does not attend it, we would have to think about some alternative method.

What do you mean by an alternative action?
We should think about some other means, either to bring them in or to sideline them.

Most opposition political parties, mainly the Tamil parties, feel that the government is not genuine in devolution.
That is what I said, before the Indo- Lanka Agreement, it could have been true. But after the Indo-Lanka Agreement, there had been a qualitative change in the position of successive governments (as per a political solution). Successive governments were prepared (to seek a solution). But the Tigers and Tamil parties did not want to solve the problem because they knew if they solve the problem, they would lose political ground. Now they are shedding crocodile tears that the 13th Amendment is to be abolished. But, what did they say earlier about the 13th Amendment? They said it was a damp squib and that it was antiquated. They did not even contest in the 1989 Provincial Council election. They were upholding the LTTE position.

You are the government’s point man in Jaffna…
Not only in Jaffna, among the entire Tamil community.

Alright. Are you satisfied with the government’s treatment towards the Tamils?
Yes, very much. There is a lot to be done, but I am happy with what has been achieved so far. If I have any doubt, I would not be with the government.

The president respects my opinion even though this is a coalition government.

What do you propose as a political solution? You have been advocating 13 Plus, i.e. to expand on the 13th Amendment.
Not that I proposed it. The president proposed it and I am for it. He says 13th Amendment plus is the solution and I am for it.COURTESY:LAKBIMA NEWS