Sampanthan proposes 3 to 5 regions

3 September 2015 05:55 pm - 58 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Newly appointed Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, in his address to Parliament, said Sri Lanka should have ‘three to five regions’ with maximum power devolved to them taking a good example from India as the giant neighbour to resolve the Tamil national question.

Mr. Sampanthan was appointed as the Opposition Leader of the new Parliament yesterday. His Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won 16 seats at the August 17 General Elections from the five electoral districts in the north and the east.

He said he would use the opportunity afforded to him to find a solution to the national question.

“Why can’t we have three to five regions in this country taking a good example from our giant neighbour? Despite all diversities they have been able to stay together thanks to their form of governance. Rather than having so many ministers in the centre why can’t we have three to five regions in this country vested with substantial powers of governance? There are many young members of Parliament who could be ministers, chief ministers in those regions. Give those regions maximum power. And allow those various parts of this country be ruled in such a way that the people themselves are best served. In India there are 29 such states. The country is united. The country stays together because people’s aspirations are respected, honoured and implemented by the states which have been constituted in such a way as to preserve linguistic interests, cultural interests, religious interests and so on. That is what we need,” he said.

Asserting that his party would remain an efficient and effective opposition, he said it would support all positive endeavours of the government.

“We will support the government in its endeavours if they are justified and are for the betterment of people. We’ll work closely with other parties of the opposition to ensure that we together are an effective opposition. We would not hesitate to work together and fight for the cause of the opposition whenever it is required,” he said.

Besides, Mr. Sampanthan said his party would not accept the idea to increase the number of ministries in the government. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)

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Comments - 58

Asias Friday, 04 September 2015 11:52 AM

Already he is giving racist comments..... The point of having the few states not because of devolution but they want the separate governance mechanism in north including legislative power in near future..... He knows he should do this sequentially.....What about the soldier who sacrifice their lives.......Thank god for All involve in war.....Shame on all Sinhaleese........

Ramola Friday, 04 September 2015 09:40 AM

An intuitive yet cunning suggestion by the new opposition leader.

raj Friday, 04 September 2015 09:47 AM

Tamils have paid a big price because of the war crimes.

Ajja Friday, 04 September 2015 09:49 AM

He thought has some sense about his Indian comparison and need to see the ways and means and also imagine if they appointed a bus mudalali as opposition leader would have been like a Maalu Kade...

Bippity Boppity Boo Friday, 04 September 2015 10:06 AM

Sri Lanka is a small island. Please consider is as one region.

pras Friday, 04 September 2015 10:25 AM

ok you voted for yahapalanam now eat it. where is SF via DM Android App

keh seevaranam Friday, 04 September 2015 10:20 AM

Sampanthan is right. His suggestion will eliminate all communal discrimination against Tamils.. Whatever you said and done there is always discrimination against Tamils.You can say on papers that Tamils will be treated as brothers. It is never going to happen.

nalaka Friday, 04 September 2015 10:36 AM

he is still in deviding mindset

upali Friday, 04 September 2015 11:00 AM

This is the dangerous move to appoint him as the opposition leader despite more than 3 fold of his number of members are in the opposition. He will now carry this to international level and probably USA might instruct Ranil to adhere to this.

Channa Friday, 04 September 2015 11:20 AM

We hate india and bloody indians , So no point of taking any examples from them . Op leader be Sri Lankan first

anura Friday, 04 September 2015 11:24 AM

Aiyo Ayah, what is this? what do you mean by five to three.? This is SriLanka, not India and there will be only one country under one flag.

BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 04 September 2015 11:40 AM

Yeah like the Sinhalese did in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1983!!!

Maya Friday, 04 September 2015 11:45 AM

Sampanthan himself is an Eastern Tamil ...

Omattage Perera Friday, 04 September 2015 11:48 AM

Creating layers after layers of administrative units rewards only politicians and their lackies.Mt. Sampanthan should not compare India and Sri Lanka as Sri Lanka neither have landmass nor a population to support these theories. mr. Sampanthan should compare apples with apples and not apples with melons!!! India has enough people to create a tax base and run the country but we do have not such population not industries. Further, ALL our politicians are not to collect money but to loot whatever country has to the heard contend. it would be wise for him to work for establishing trust of all communities before trying carve up the country in the name of resolving our (inter)national issue.

nisanka Friday, 04 September 2015 11:50 AM

Power and authority vested to the politicians by the people to conduct rule of majority, It does not mean representatives could anyhow be rigors and leading extremism, either opportunistic, - the conscious policy and the practice of taking selfish advantages out of circumstances - with little regards for principles or with what the consequences are for others and in large to the country - First Politician Must Love the country and not to bargain with Personal Interest - Why there must not be any solution rather than devolving Powers.

CLIVE Friday, 04 September 2015 09:40 AM

Well, I do not see any reason to oppose his proposal after all Majority of the Sri Lankans have given a clear mandate to find a solution to the "national question" that Mr. R. Sampanthan speaks about but ordinary Tamil people does not feel like that. I hope Mr. RW should consider this proposal positively and go even to the extent of giving federal to Mr. Sampanthan.

kumar Friday, 04 September 2015 12:14 PM

Speaking in English is not a big deal. This is not UK or USA.

kumar Friday, 04 September 2015 12:17 PM

You have no any rights to say that! This is his country and he is representing the people voted for him.

stardust Friday, 04 September 2015 12:30 PM

@ranjith demel : No, not Germany. Take Switzerland as a example, it can be better compared to SL. Small but with 4 (!) official languages, big cities, industries, and many rural areas with mainly agriculture and tourism. And PEACE since 200 years. See and study how they govern their country.

BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 04 September 2015 12:48 PM

For proper administration, power needs to be devolved. Even in a Company, the reason for having sections, divisions and departments and appointing separate heads with powers is for the purpose of having an effective system. When power is centralized, it becomes corrupt, unfocussed...like Mahinda over developed Hambantota.

BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 04 September 2015 12:50 PM

Do not judge Tamil politicians in the same manner as the crooked Sinhalese politicians of the south.

BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 04 September 2015 12:56 PM

Then who is going to apologize for the riots of 1956. 1958, 1977 and 1983? Federalism within a united Sri Lanka is the way forward. Is it the worry that the north will see honest and focused and uncorrupted development? Why worry about war crimes, if such a thing has not been committed. One worries only when one has committed such cowardly crimes.

Boonda Friday, 04 September 2015 04:12 PM

Yes. I am from Kandy. Why should I look up to Colombo ?

60sguy Saturday, 05 September 2015 05:23 AM

Here we go again. History repeating itself.

Maya Saturday, 05 September 2015 08:31 PM

oops, that is for Desmond Jeromme

Hari Saturday, 05 September 2015 09:02 PM

If India doesnt have a federal system, There would have been many internal wars asking for separate country for each communities!

Hari Saturday, 05 September 2015 09:11 PM

I think! It is a good idea!

lee Sunday, 06 September 2015 04:38 AM

Chicken...very good comment....agree.

lee Sunday, 06 September 2015 05:15 AM

Upali...you are absolutely correct...RW,MY3

J Palitha Friday, 04 September 2015 07:08 AM

Welgama you are not suitable to be the Opp.Leader, Samanthan is ok.

ruwan Friday, 04 September 2015 12:49 AM

He spoke in English when he could have done so in Tamil. That speaks about the man.Not many MPs could speak English in the parliament. I wonder how many could understood what he spoke, without translation!

Saajidh Friday, 04 September 2015 01:04 AM

I was happy he was appointed as the opposition leader as it is a good sign that regardless of your religion now you could everyone has equal opportunity but no way for different states.Having a centralised government and no dilution of power is the way forward.

Cheers Friday, 04 September 2015 01:51 AM

Here we go his ealaam dream starts here now eat the pie

Eagle Friday, 04 September 2015 02:47 AM

What he really means is merge North and East.Sampanthan is only good for stirring up problems and at 83 years of age has made a very good living out of it for him self and his family all these long years!Saying he is serving Tamil people is just a cover to serve himself. Just another rogue.

Ssman Friday, 04 September 2015 03:29 AM

If you think Tamilnadu is that good, leave!SL is a tiny island. Feel sorry for our dead soldiers.

shan Friday, 04 September 2015 04:19 AM

TNA rightly or wrongly now holds the leader of the opposition post. It is about time that TNA now renounce federalism, renounce terrorism, apologies to the country for working in tandem with the LTTE in the past and drop the call for the fabricated request for war crime investigations. No, SL should not reduce the number of regions, if we do so North and the East should be kept separated and amalgamated with other regions. The price we have paid for our way of life and our freedoms are high.

DSAMLANKA Friday, 04 September 2015 04:31 AM

Our giant neighbor’s states are polarized and very communal. Case and point is Tamil Nadu, which doesn’t even recognize Hindi as the national language. Many states, especially southern states, are at each other’s throats for water rights. Some have extremists operating from across their border. The aim should be to bring the communities together and not isolate them by giving autonomy, causing more harm than good.

ram Friday, 04 September 2015 05:25 AM

Good suggestion to reduce the number of Provincial Councils, the new regions can have the same powers given to PCs at presentTamils are not discriminated in any manner now, some holding high government positions, there is no merit in the maximum power request. The other option is to dissolve all PCs and the government to govern the country as it happened in the past

Suq Madique Friday, 04 September 2015 05:33 AM

Good move by the Govt. Hope Sampathan remembers he is the Opposition leader for the whole country and not only the North

kumarna Friday, 04 September 2015 06:49 AM

I recall an Opposition Leader in 1977 after the SLFP was then wiped out. Let us all PRAY that this Leader will lead taking into account the other communities, specially the Sinhalese numbering more than eighteen million and that this is a very small island nation

Kumara Friday, 04 September 2015 06:59 AM

India is so big. Sri Lanka is a tinny Island which could be ruled from one place. Racism only cannot be the yard stick to rule!

Horri Jimonis Friday, 04 September 2015 07:05 AM

Samanthan try to work unitedly with Sinhalese and treat them as Brothers

Desmond Jeromme Friday, 04 September 2015 07:06 AM

Samanthan is only concerned about Jaffna Tamils, that is our worry.

Bubble Banda Friday, 04 September 2015 07:07 AM

Educated man should act wisely.

Sapu Friday, 04 September 2015 12:44 AM

I agree that the 9 provinces are too much and lacks any power to be useful. The number needs to be reduced the powers need to be dissolved so all of SL can develop equally

Saman Friday, 04 September 2015 07:09 AM

Huh.....haaa....CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG...HE WANTS 3-5 regions......very good..he is aiming for even bigger area than NE combined.......dont worry,

ranjit demel Friday, 04 September 2015 07:22 AM

in my opinion a federal set up with police and land rights for the different states without any form of merging would be the best a federal setup should not be because of the ethnic issue but because a province or astate could be governed better for the people living in that state.the indian model is not suitable for s.l. for many reasons .the german setup is the best.any german or any foreigner living legally in gernany can live,work,buy land,start a business,etc etc in any state he or she wants.the state governments should abide by the decisions taken by the central government.a state government for example in the n.p.,should and could not be only for the tamils.the mindset of the s.l. tamils should change .

Jim Friday, 04 September 2015 07:31 AM

Lets give them a chance and see how this new ruling work, 2020 we can decide and accept or reject them, VOTE is ion our hand. sadly SLFP lost members are in parliament.

Kadupol Jothywansa Friday, 04 September 2015 07:36 AM

He is a honest man but he should change his attitudes and work with all communities. Good that rouges were not selected.

Asela Friday, 04 September 2015 07:48 AM

Mr.Sambathan you should get together and give your fullest support to develop the country without thinking of separate region.

Chicken Friday, 04 September 2015 07:54 AM

India is a large country, so they have to make separate states where as srilanka is smaller than or equal to the size of tamil nadu so why should you divide a small country into so many states?? No sense to that statement mr sampandan! You say india is united, haha we know how much trouble the tamil nadu state alone is causing to the jndian government asking for rights even there too, and we can see how well developed tamil nadu is, leaders there dont do a good job but just fool poor people for votes and earn in billions, first reduce poverty in the country and then talk about rights.

kadmin Friday, 04 September 2015 08:05 AM

We are not going to become another India but a brand new Sri lanka. So your thoughts or ideas of taking a leaf out of India is unnecessary.

Realist Friday, 04 September 2015 09:01 AM

30 years of war to keep the country as one. Now, regional governance ?

Sapu Friday, 04 September 2015 09:03 AM

There are ways to de-centralize power in a unitary country, those option needs to be studied

mnsmart Friday, 04 September 2015 09:08 AM

Our country is too small to devide

thecabaal Friday, 04 September 2015 09:11 AM

Dear sir,you clearly dont know india well. the TN region is alweays fighting other regions there are tribes in india where the govt has no authorityy and a lot of them

Sangaralingham Friday, 04 September 2015 09:26 AM

No comments needed from me. Every comments read tell a story. So it is a matter of coming years when most of our current politicians not here a solution will come based on technology global communications computerization monetary policies quick interpretations and translation opportunities building trusts. Fragmentation of any country is not acceptable but some leaders across the country both douth west east and north are trying directly indirectly why lack of trust faith in the

Ganesha Friday, 04 September 2015 09:32 AM

Why should one renounce federalism it is not something despicable as some idiots misunderstand the political structure.

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Sampanthan proposes 3 to 5 regions

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