The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Tuesday “categorically rejected” Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s offer to implement the 13th Amendment sans police powers, terming his proposal for development and power devolution “another hollow promise”.
The 13th Amendment is over 30-year-old Sri Lankan legislation on the devolution of power from Colombo to the nine provinces, but it has never been fully implemented. “If the government is not willing to implement what is already in our Constitution, it is a revelation of the lack of political will to go beyond the 13th Amendment and devolve power,” TNA spokesman M.A. Sumanthiran told The Hindu, following a meeting convened by Mr Wickremesinghe with Tamil political parties. “We categorically rejected the President’s proposal.
