Thu, May 23, 2013, 12:25 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 23, Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella says the party believes that the devolution of power would address the ethnic issue and it was the best method to solve the ethnic issue in the country. Addressing the media Wednesday, the UNP parliamentarian said the war could have been ended before 2009 if the members in the present government in 2001- 2003 had agreed with the devolution of power and helped the then UNP government to implement the 13th Amendment.
He added that the government would split if provincial council elections are held for the Northern Province since it consists of parties with different opinions on the provincial council system.
The opposition MP expressed doubts on government's intention to hold the Northern PC elections.
He said the party has learnt that some groups in the government are attempting to get an order from the courts to ban the elections in the North while the government is looking for excuses not to hold the elections.
The government has however stressed that the elections for the Northern Provincial Council will be held in September this year.
Kiriella says that holding provincial council elections would prove that the government had accepted the UNP's opinion on power devolution.