Scrapping PCs: JHU discusses its proposal with UNP

UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe discusses his party’s draft proposal for a new constitution with the leaders of the JHU. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, Ven. Omaple Sobhitha Thera, Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila are also in the picture.


The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday met the United National Party (UNP) at the latter’s headquarters, Sirikotha, to get its support for scrapping provincial councils, which were established under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1987, with India’s intervention.

JHU spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told The Island his party had had discussions with UNL leader Ranil Wickremesinghe flanked by UNP Chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and UNP MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Wijedasa Rajapakshe.

JHU MP Athuraliye Rathana Thera presented a private member’s motion, in Parliament two weeks ago, seeking to scrap the provincial council system.

Warnasinghe said that his party had explained to the UNP delegation the JHU’s private member motion and discussed its five major points. "We explained to the UNP delegation, the danger of providing police and land powers to a provincial council under any government," he said, adding that the UNP had agreed to study the JHU proposal. Their meeting lasted for two hours.

Warnasinghe said that they asked for the support of UNP members or to allow their members to vote freely when the proposal was taken up in parliament.

UNP Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe had appointed MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe to study the JHU draft proposal and to brief him on it, Warnasinghe said.

The JHU spokesman said that his party had got a copy of the UNP’s proposed draft Constitution and both parties had agreed to exchange their views on the two proposals at a future meeting.

According to Warnasinghe so far, the JHU had discussed its proposal with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the UNP and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC).

The JHU was planning to discuss it with other parties shortly, he said.

JHU leader Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, General Secretary and Minister of Technology and Research Patali Champika Ranawaka, Western Provincial Minister Udaya Gammanpila, Attorney– at–Law M. C. Jayarathna and JHU Media Secretary Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe attended the discussion.

UNP MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe said that they would inform the JHU of the UNP’s views on their proposal, at a future meeting, after studying their proposal.