11-page draft for conciliation
Ves on human rights, y, multiculturalism, d judicial independence Former President Rajapaksa scoffs at new policy as “inappropriate”; focus on October 8 anti-Govt. rally
“The State shall make every endeavour to ensure that the full range of civil and political rights are equally upheld for all citizens and groups in the country in a non-discriminatory manner. The State should provide a mechanism to enforce civil and political rights and an enabling system for its implementation, which includes the rule of law, administrative justice, educational measures to promote a rights culture and democratic structures with checks and balances. The judiciary should play an important role in ensuring the implementation of these rights. “INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY Proactively cultivate a sense of belonging, responsibility and solidarity towards strengthening a shared Sri Lankan identity and values enriched by the nation’s diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and to explore the notion of active citizenship in Sri Lanka and what it means to be a Sri Lankan.
“Ensure the right of every citizen to use and demand services in Sinhala and Tamil, the National and Official languages of Sri Lanka as enshrined in the Constitution and collectively work towards achieving trilingual competencies in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages.
“The State shall endeavour to create an inclusive society by setting up mechanisms to actively encourage the participation of formerly marginalised groups in decision making as well as their access to opportunities and services.
“Ensure representation within the public service and judicial system that reflects the diversity of the Sri Lankan population.
“Design specific mechanisms and programmes that within State and public sector institutions to mainstream policies and practices that uphold the principles of multiculturalism.
“Address the needs, empower, and engage with vulnerable groups affected by the conflict, including but not limited to, female heads of households, war widows, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, children and youth, internally displaced communities, families of missing and disappeared, ex combatants, differently-abled, resettled communities. “JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW Strengthen, and reform where necessary, the judicial system so as to adequately deliver, and provide access to, swift and expeditious justice.
“Actively work towards ensuring equal and informed access to justice, maintenance of law and order and the equitable, impartial, competent, and swift dispensation of justice by way of an impartial and competent judiciary.
“Make every endeavour to provide reparations to victims who have been identified to have suffered loss as a result of the conflict and to ensure the protection of victims and witnesses during and after their quest for justice and redress.
“To amend and repeal laws which are discriminatory and are not in compliance with normative standards; and to introduce laws that are necessary to foster reconciliation. OWNERSHIP “Proactively examine the obstacles faced by respective sectors, including but not limited to, femaleheads of households, war widows, children & youth, internally displaced communities, families of the missing and disappeared, ex-combatants, different- ly-abled, resettled communities, and Sri Lankans living overseas and persons of Sri Lankan origin living overseas belonging to all communities, in participating and exercising their rights and define and implement actions to address these obstacles. CLEAR AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION “Design and implement reconciliation interventions in consultation and with the participation of relevant stakeholders, and listening to respective stakeholders including civil society, direct and indirect victims of conflict and violence, and other affected groups; while the State should proactively release information on progress towards reconciliation in the country and such information must be communicated with responsibility and remain accessible, open and transparent to citizens.
“The State should make a concerted effort to engage the general public, through mobilising traditional and non-traditional media, in order to bring about positive attitudinal change that will in turn facilitate the readiness and preparedness of citizens to receive and accept solutions to the root-causes of conflict. Government and non-government actors must go beyond using media as a mere tool for communication; rather they must proactively leverage the media as a strategically powerful tool to promote reconciliation through carefully designed interventions.”
Even before the National Policy on Reconciliation has been launched, Opposition political parties are veering towards anti-Government campaigns. Besides, what they call an ‘inappropriate policy on reconciliation,’ the campaign is also to focus on the re-introduction of the enhanced Value Added Tax (VAT), the economic and trade co-operation agreement with India and the recent Jaffna protests which the opposition groups claim was a threat to the country’s national security. The first such meeting will be held in Ratnapura on October 8. Contrary to reports that the launch of a new political party will take place on this day, its convenor and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times, it will not be on this day.
He said that it has already been decided to form a new political party. This is because most people have lost confidence in the two major political parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), he said. Since they were now in a coalition, the policy they were implementing was contrary to the pledges made to the people and had caused disillusionment, he said. “We have already formed a political party. We have thought of a flag, colour and have asked artistes to design a flag. We will make it public in due course.” Basil Rajapaksa declined to divulge the name except to say he had told supporters also to suggest names. The new party will be in alliance with other like-minded political parties. “Some of those who are backing the Government now will also join us,” he claimed. He said the aim of the new party would be to fill the void created by the SLFP and the UNP by going into a coalition government. He projected that the new party would be in place by January next year and would be ready when there would be a referendum on the new Constitution and when local government elections were held.
The campaign by the Opposition groups over the enhanced VAT comes as the imposition of the new tax has been still further delayed. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had wanted to introduce the enhanced rates to be effective from October 1 i.e. yesterday. Karunanayake told the Sunday Times the Vat Bill would now be debated in Parliament on October 26. It would be implemented immediately thereafter, he said. Karunanayake also revealed that a new Appropriation Bill which would incorporate amendments would be introduced in Parliament on Tuesday. “It will be printed on the same day by the Government Printer,” he said. The changes in this Bill, it is learnt, are to ensure that the debt servicing ratio is less than five per cent of the GDP. The move, a Government source said yesterday, was to fall in line with requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and qualify for its second tranche of US$ 1.5 billion from its extended fund facility. This is expected to be released in April 2017.
Government sources said yesterday that President Sirisena was awaiting the return of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to have a top level discussion on the November 10 budget. The Premier is now on a visit to New Zealand and is expected to travel to New Delhi for an economic forum. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera who returned from the United States of America on Thursday is expected to join him. Also due to take part in the meeting are Finance Minister Karunanayake and other senior ministers. The idea of President Sirisena summoning the meeting is to obtain a general idea of the budget proposals and thus obviate the need for any changes after they are announced, like what happened the last time. A Government source said it would also ensure that the proposed measures would not be opposed by the SLFP faction in the Government. Though the budget debate is due to end on December 10, Government sources said yesterday, it was likely to be extended at least by another week.
Without doubt, the upcoming budget has become a subject of top priority for the Government. This is particularly in the light of the local government elections planned for the early part of next year. Efforts at reconciliation have also become an important issue in view of the interest shown by the international community. However, such an enormous task, there is no gainsaying, is more difficult than winning the separatist war militarily. It involves winning the hearts and minds of all stakeholders, something which the United National Front Government has not been able to achieve to a considerable extent. The once guerrilla-dominated North and the LTTE presence in the East are no more realities. The North has turned out to be the fastest developing region in Sri Lanka. Yet, neither the Government nor the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), one of its undeclared appendages, are allowing the situation to slip by. The recent ‘Rise Tamil’ uprising by the hardline elements of the North with the Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran thrust as the leader thereof has caused more than a stir within the Government and also the TNA that disowned the move. This has helped others sow the seeds of communalism, disparage the armed forces and create serious suspicious in the minds of other communities. It proves that erasing communalism is easier said than done. A national policy alone will be of no use if it is limited to a document. There also should be the national will from all parties to act and make it a reality. Therein lies the problem.