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SLPP Chairman pushes for consensus with Tamil community
GL turns bridge builder between North and South
‘We must not be captured and dominated by the past’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Education Minister and Chairman of the ruling SLPP Prof. G.L. Peiris declared in Jaffna that they shouldn’t allow the past to prevent a consensus among the communities for the benefit of all.
Prof. Peiris stressed the need to remove artificial barriers that separated communities. The Minister discussed how the ongoing new constitution-making process spearheaded by a nine-member committee chaired by Romesh de Silva, PC was proceeding.
The Minister said that the TNA had submitted far-reaching proposals to the Committee and the SLMC had been asked to furnish its suggestions. The SLPP, too, would soon be making representations, the minister said, underscoring the need for political parties to work on areas they could agree on without being trapped in problems.
The Minister, while acknowledging the need to be mindful of the past, emphasized the importance in not allowing the past to dominate the present. Prof. Peiris recalled how he sat for direct negotiations
with LTTE representatives-Anton Balasingham and Tamilchelvam few years after the same people tried to assassinate the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Prof. Peiris said that he too received injuries and some shrapnel still remained in his body. The Education Minister said that he did not bear any grudge against anyone responsible for the suicide attack that almost claimed his life.
The minister was referring to Dec 1999 attack on the final PA rally in Colombo.
The minister said so in speeches delivered at the Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai and Uduvil Girls College where one-time External Affairs Minister explained measures taken by the incumbent government to strengthen education and agriculture sectors. Prof. Peiris said that the government considered both sectors priority and was determined to help the community.
In his address at the Jaffna College, Prof. Peiris underscored the pivotal importance in interaction between Tamil and Sinhala speaking people at different levels, particularly the students as part of the reconciliation process. Referring to the Norway arranged Ceasefire (CFA) during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Prime Minister, Prof. Peiris shared a little bit of his experience as the Chief government negotiator at the talks with the LTTE.
Prof. Peiris said that the negotiations and related activities had been structured in such a way there were many exchanges of students between the Northern Province and the rest of the country. Such exchanges helped improve relations between the two communities, Prof. Peiris said, recalling the time Tamil and Sinhala students engaged in debates.
Education Minister Peiris over the last weekend assured the Tamil community that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government would do everything possible to boost the education opportunities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
The Education Minister’s visit (Feb 5-8) took place amidst large scale protest campaign in the Northern and Eastern Provinces organized by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led political groups and the Muslim community demanding justice for those who had been missing as a result of the conflict, release of land occupied by the military, immediate halt to excavations et al.
Prof. Peiris said that the negotiations and related activities had been structured in such a way there were many exchanges of students between the Northern Province and rest of the country. Such exchanges helped improve relations between the two communities, Prof. Peiris said, recalling the time Tamil and Sinhala students engaged in debates.
At the onset, Prof. Peiris paid a glowing tribute to the Jaffna College for the role it had played over nearly 200 years in the education sector even during the turmoil in the North. Prof. Peiris also discussed the responsibility on the part of the government to ensure all possible assistance to the North though there were difficulties.
Prof. Peiris, who is also the Chairman of the ruling SLPP said that the recent setting up of a Research and Training Complex at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna would be a tremendous boost not only to the Northern and Eastern regions, but to the whole country. Appreciating the role played by Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Akira Sugiyama in the fruition of the Rs 2.8 bn project, Prof. Peiris said that Japan always backed appropriate projects on Sri Lanka’s request though some countries imposed programmes they were interested in.
Prof. Peiris said that following the commissioning of the Agriculture Faculty in Kilinochchi on Feb 5, he, in the company of Education Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera and UGC Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunga had an opportunity to meet Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University and Deans of Faculties and other officials in Kilinochchi where entire gamut of issues was discussed. The Minister emphasized the importance of the Education Ministry visiting the Northern Province to explore ways and means of helping the education sector instead of the officials visiting Colombo.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa brought the entire education sector under one ministry as he felt the need to address the issues in an orderly manner and the ministry was successful in doing so in spite of constraints.
In his address at the Uduvil Girls College, Prof. Peiris acknowledged the extreme difficulties experienced by the northern farmer community. The minister explained how the farmers had been denied and deprived of sufficient compensation for their hard work. The Minister pointed out how agricultural produce from the provinces, including the North, go waste on the way to major markets.
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
