Sri Lanka President hints a federal Constitution
By Daya Gamage
(Courtesy of Asian Tribune)
President of Sri Lanka Maitripala Sirisena addressing the parliamentary on January 9 session that moved a resolution to transform the legislature into a constitutional assembly to draft a new constitution declared that there was no foreign influence in formulating the new constitution.
The president was allying a fear of foreign interference in the domestic affairs of the country at a time senior American officials have gone on record advocating serious devolution of administrative and economic power to the North-East Provinces through a federal constitution. The American officials for some time have recognized the two regions as the ‘Homeland of the Tamil People’ and that they have a legitimate right to govern their territory and responsible for their destiny.
The lengthy report titled ‘Secessionist Tamil Diaspora’s debt to America: Federalism for Sri Lanka’ recording the promotion of a federal structure and acknowledging the north-east region as the ‘Tamil Homeland’ by a scores of American officials including the incumbent American envoy in Colombo Mr. Atul Keshap. It is in this atmosphere that Sri Lanka’s president addressing his country’s legislature dismiss the notion that his government was not under the spell of foreign powers.
Despite his denial of being subject to foreign influence in constitution-making, the president’s own statement in Sri Lanka’s legislature on January 9 gives an indication that the constitution-making trajectory is toward federalism. He told that the majority ethnic Sinhalese which constitute 74% in Sri Lanka opposed a federal system that would ensure greater political power for ethnic minority Tamils who constitute 11% of the total Sri Lankan population.Statistics show that only 8.6% of ethnic Tamils out of the total population of the country are domiciled in the north-east region of the country. 54% of the 11% ethnic Tamils are domiciled outside the north-east region among majority ethnic Sinhalese in southern districts.
It is interesting the president noted that a federal system “would ensure greater political power for minority Tamils”, a policy position senior American officials in the State Department have taken since the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009.
He further said “We need a constitution that suits the needs of the 21st century and makes sure that all communities live in harmony,” Sirisena told legislators, adding that he was ready to shed executive powers in favor of a strengthened parliament.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing the parliament proposing a constitutional assembly observed that objections by the majority ethnic Sinhala community to power sharing deals with the minority ethnic Tamils early on led to terrorism and war, he added.
“I believe now, through our past bitter experiences, we must prepare ourselves for future challenges,” he said.
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