NPC polls: Ranil sets four conditions; seeks powvow with President

UNP leader Ranil Wickreme-singhe has sought a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa urgently to discuss ways and means of creating a level playing field ahead of the first Northern Provincial Council (NPC) election, expected to be held in September.


Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe has written to President Rajapaksa on Wednesday (12) seeking an appointment for a delegation headed by him.

In a brief missive to President Rajapaksa, the UNP leader emphasized that the success of the NPC polls would depend on the government’s readiness to meet four specific conditions.

The Opposition leader called for the restoration of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution by repealing the relevant provisions of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. The UNP leader said that the proposed amendment should include am additional provision to strengthen the Police Commission on the lines of the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

The LLRC recommended that the Police Commission should be empowered to monitor the performance of the Police Service and ensure that all police officers act independently and maintain a high degree of professional conduct.

The UNPer also called for the immediate replacement of Northern Province Governor Major General (redt.) G. A. Chandrasiri by a civilian acceptable to all political parties and formation of a Commonwealth team on the day of the nominations, to monitor the process, a week after the election.

The UNP leader reminded President Rajapaksa that the March 21, 2013 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution on Sri Lanka too, dealt with the NPC polls. The UNPer said that the government could prevent the NPC polls being a contentious issue at the next UNHRC sessions by ensuring a free and fair election. But that would depend on the government’s readiness to address issues raised by the Opposition.