Lobby

TNA Parliamentarian former Batticoloa district MP, Joseph Pararajasingham, former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s life was ended by an assassins bullet last August. The only crime these men committed was holding fast their strong faith in the democratic system and choosing to voice their opinions in a democratic manner in a country where people are fast losing faith is this very system.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district MP Nadarajah Raviraj became the third serving legislator of the Sri Lanka Parliament to be assassinated in less than two years, a grotesque record by any measure, anywhere in the world.

The forty-four year-old MPs death came just two days after he along with his TNA colleagues engaged in a ‘satyagraha’ in Parliament against the Supreme Court decision to de-merge the northern and eastern province.

Mr. Raviraj vociferously opposed the Court ruling and along with his colleagues wanted the Government to bring in legislation to merge the two provinces permanently.

His voice too has been stilled as was another TNA Parliamentarian former Batticoloa district MP, Joseph Pararajasingham who too was silenced by the gun on Christmas Day last year. Similarly former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s life was ended by an assassins bullet last August. The only crime these men committed was holding fast their strong faith in the democratic system and choosing to voice their opinions in a democratic manner in a country where people are fast losing faith is this very system.There was little premonition that Tuesday would be Mr. Raviraj’s last day in Parliament, as several TNA MPs sat on the floor in the Well of the House as they have been doing so for several days in previous sitting weeks.

It was on that day Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake made a statement in Parliament to explain the Government’s position on the merger issue.

The statement was made in response to a demand made by the TNA two weeks earlier.
No one expected a direct answer from the Government when the Premier got up to speak and neither did they get one.

The question was addressed in the same opaque and vague manner in which the Government has been addressing all issues since assuming office. The answer left everyone confused as to what exactly was the Government planned to do on this crucial issue.

The Premier said the people of the north and east must decide whether they want to live in a merged province or live separately. He said the issue should not be decided by the Government or by an armed group.

“The Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims living in the north and east must decide for themselves whether they want to live in the north-east as one unit or as two separate units. It shouldn’t be based on a decision taken stubbornly by a government or by an armed group using the power of the gun,” the Prime Minister said.

Interestingly, he also said that the people of the region should be allowed to make a decision on this by holding referendum. He did not elaborate how this would be done.

The north and east were merged in 1988 by the late President J.R. Jayewardane by a Gazette Notification under Emergency Regulations and has been extended each year by successive Presidents. It was part of the arrangement worked out under the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 to bring about a settlement to the country’s ethnic problem. Sadly like most of the other objectives of the accord, it remains unfulfilled to this day.

The Prime Minister’s statement did not please the JVP who initiated the de-merging of the two provinces by petitioning the Supreme Court.

The JVP Parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa asked the Prime Minister after his statement if the Government would take steps to set up two separate councils in view of the Court ruling. The Premier replied the Government was looking into the matter and would take appropriate action.

On Tuesday Government extended the emergency by another month. The Premier who moved the emergency motion provided grim figures which illustrated the necessity to extend the emergency. He said 337 security forces personnel were killed and 827 wounded during the past month.

A total of d 83 civilians were also killed and 73 injured during the same period.

The figures were the highest since the signing of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement.

TNA Parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan who took part in the debate detailed the humanitarian crisis taking place in the Jaffna peninsula subsequent to the closure of the A 9 highway. He urged the government to take steps to merge the north and east.

Heated exchanges erupted when UNP Galle district MP Vajira Abeywardena called on the Government to open the ‘A 9’ highway and allow essential items to flow into the peninsula.

This proposal was frowned upon by Trade Minster Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who said only the LTTE would benefit with the opening of the road. He claimed government was sending sufficient food to Jaffna by ship.

As the country entered another month of rule under emergency law which was ironically re-introduced with the assassination of Mr. Kadirgarmar last August, another legislator has fallen victim to the culture of violence that the emergency law was put in place to prevent.