Friday, June 17, 2005
P-TOMS draft coming to Parliament
By Poorna Rodrigo and Damitha Hemachandra
Thursday, June 16, 2005
The government is considering a move to bring the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) in Parliament as a regulation under the Tsunami Special Provision Act.
The matter was discussed at a meeting presided over by President Chandrika Kumaratunga at President’s House on Tuesday night.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, John Seneviratne Maithripala Sirisena and Deputy Minister Dilan Perera.
However the President said that there would be a problem since she had already told the TNA that she would not bring the P-TOMS before Parliament.
It was after this that the President and the senior ministers decided to bring it as a regulation under the Tsunami Act.
When the matter was brought to the notice of the LTTE, it said the government should sign the agreement with it immaterial of whether the P-TOMS goes before Parliament or not.
The issue was also discussed at length during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting and the proposal is likely to be brought before Parliament next Wednesday. The P-TOMS draft proposals were also sent to the Legal Draughtsman for final touches.
Meanwhile the JHU yesterday welcomed the government’s decision to present the P-TOMS to Parliament but stressed the government should obtain a two-thirds majority in Parliament before implementing it.
JHU frontliner Champaka Ranawaka said he believed the government’s move to present the P-TOMS draft to Parliament with several amendments was a great victory to the anti-P-TOMS protest campaign initiated by the JHU.
He warned the JHU would challenge it in the Supreme Court if the government did not abide with their demands. Mr. Ranawaka said the JHU still maintained that the country did not require a special mechanism to rehabilitate people in the the Tsunami affected areas since they could be achieved through the present government administrative structure.
The JHU also urged the President to secure the approval of the four Mahanayake Theras before presenting the P-TOMS draft in Parliament.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
The government is considering a move to bring the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) in Parliament as a regulation under the Tsunami Special Provision Act.
The matter was discussed at a meeting presided over by President Chandrika Kumaratunga at President’s House on Tuesday night.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, John Seneviratne Maithripala Sirisena and Deputy Minister Dilan Perera.
However the President said that there would be a problem since she had already told the TNA that she would not bring the P-TOMS before Parliament.
It was after this that the President and the senior ministers decided to bring it as a regulation under the Tsunami Act.
When the matter was brought to the notice of the LTTE, it said the government should sign the agreement with it immaterial of whether the P-TOMS goes before Parliament or not.
The issue was also discussed at length during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting and the proposal is likely to be brought before Parliament next Wednesday. The P-TOMS draft proposals were also sent to the Legal Draughtsman for final touches.
Meanwhile the JHU yesterday welcomed the government’s decision to present the P-TOMS to Parliament but stressed the government should obtain a two-thirds majority in Parliament before implementing it.
JHU frontliner Champaka Ranawaka said he believed the government’s move to present the P-TOMS draft to Parliament with several amendments was a great victory to the anti-P-TOMS protest campaign initiated by the JHU.
He warned the JHU would challenge it in the Supreme Court if the government did not abide with their demands. Mr. Ranawaka said the JHU still maintained that the country did not require a special mechanism to rehabilitate people in the the Tsunami affected areas since they could be achieved through the present government administrative structure.
The JHU also urged the President to secure the approval of the four Mahanayake Theras before presenting the P-TOMS draft in Parliament.
JHU wants referendum on P-TOMS
By Damitha Hemachandra
Friday, June 17, 2005
The JHU yesterday urged the government to hold a referendum for the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), which is to be presented in Parliament as a regulation under the Tsunami Special Provisions Act.
While pointing out that the P-TOMS would now be open to scrutiny, debate and suggestions of the MPs, the public and the Maha Sangha, JHU General Secretary, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said that a referendum was required due to many reasons.
“Under Article 157 of the Constitution it is illegal for the government to enter into any pact or treaty with a separatist organisation,” Ven. Sobitha Thera said, adding that thus the Ceasefire Agreement between Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Prabhakaran too was unconstitutional.
“There is a court case pending on the ceasefire agreement on the same grounds,” he said.
According to Ven. Sobhitha Thera either the government should hold a referendum on the P-TOMS structure since it involved the LTTE or the LTTE should give up its separatist motives after making an international and national declaration on it.
He accused that successive governments were continuing to grant international recognition to the LTTE despite their known separatist sentiments.
The Ven. Thera further pointed out that the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in the North and the East had not given an electoral consent for the LTTE to represent them on government administrative levels.
“Therefore the government should inquire from the people prior to entering into any agreement or structure with the LTTE and granting them policy-making rights.”
The JHU also pointed out that true public opinion would not be reflected through a vote in parliament since most of the MPs were bound to forget their election pledges and policies when voting.
“For example, the UPFA government was voted to power to pull out the Ranil-Prabhakaran Ceasefire Agreement. But today they are acting against the people’s vote and are serving the interests of the LTTE,” it said.
The JHU warned that extreme action would be taken if the UPFA government sans the JVP passed the P-TOMS with the assistance of the UNF and TNA without a referendum.
Friday, June 17, 2005
The JHU yesterday urged the government to hold a referendum for the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), which is to be presented in Parliament as a regulation under the Tsunami Special Provisions Act.
While pointing out that the P-TOMS would now be open to scrutiny, debate and suggestions of the MPs, the public and the Maha Sangha, JHU General Secretary, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said that a referendum was required due to many reasons.
“Under Article 157 of the Constitution it is illegal for the government to enter into any pact or treaty with a separatist organisation,” Ven. Sobitha Thera said, adding that thus the Ceasefire Agreement between Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Prabhakaran too was unconstitutional.
“There is a court case pending on the ceasefire agreement on the same grounds,” he said.
According to Ven. Sobhitha Thera either the government should hold a referendum on the P-TOMS structure since it involved the LTTE or the LTTE should give up its separatist motives after making an international and national declaration on it.
He accused that successive governments were continuing to grant international recognition to the LTTE despite their known separatist sentiments.
The Ven. Thera further pointed out that the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in the North and the East had not given an electoral consent for the LTTE to represent them on government administrative levels.
“Therefore the government should inquire from the people prior to entering into any agreement or structure with the LTTE and granting them policy-making rights.”
The JHU also pointed out that true public opinion would not be reflected through a vote in parliament since most of the MPs were bound to forget their election pledges and policies when voting.
“For example, the UPFA government was voted to power to pull out the Ranil-Prabhakaran Ceasefire Agreement. But today they are acting against the people’s vote and are serving the interests of the LTTE,” it said.
The JHU warned that extreme action would be taken if the UPFA government sans the JVP passed the P-TOMS with the assistance of the UNF and TNA without a referendum.
