May 25, 2013, 6:39 pm

By Franklin R. Satyapalan


The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), an important constituent party in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, yesterday unveiled a "three pronged approach" to abolish the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.


JHU spokespesman, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said the party would mobilize the public to urge the government to change its stand on the 13th Amendment by holding awareness rallies countrywide from the June 1, canvass the support of political parties in government and as well as the opposition and present a private member’s motion in Parliament after the conclusion of the Vesak celebrations.


JHU sources said that the decision to take to the streets and "go before the people" was made in the backdrop of the statement made by Cabinet spokesman, Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa that the government had no intention of abolishing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution or postpone the Northern PC polls scheduled for September this year.


"We are totally against the holding of the polls to the Northern PC as we believe the local and international political situation and pressures being brought to bear could have serious implications for the country", they said.


If the polls should be held in the North, then the Sinhala and Muslim people who were ethnically cleansed from the North should be resettled. There were about 20,000 Sinhalese living in the Jaffna district earlier. All of them should be resettled before the polls are conducted", the sources said.


When asked whether there was sufficient time before the scheduled elections in September to resettle these people, the sources replied "In that case, let the government postpone the polls until such time all Muslims and Sinhalese were resettled".


Warnasinghe said that there would be no problem as the majority of the displaced Tamils are being resettled. All the IDP camps had been closed down.


Asked about the implications the government would face from neighboring India and the international community if it abolished the 13th Amendment and went back on holding the Northern PC poll, Warnasinghe said that Sri Lanka, as a Sovereign country, need not give into pressures from any quarters, be it India or the international community.