President Rajapaksa has promised Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna the full implementation of the 13th Amendment plus.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised visiting Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M Krishna that the government will deliver on its promise to implement the 13th Amendment plus, Krishna told a press briefing today.

“I discussed this matter with His Excellency the President.  The President assured me that he stands by his commitment to pursuing the 13th Amendment plus approach,” he said.

He further stated that the Sri Lankan government hoped to extend the 13th amendment to include comprehensive devolution of powers. “The Government of Sri Lanka has on many occasions conveyed to us its commitment to move towards a political settlement based on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, and building on it, so as to achieve meaningful devolution of powers,” he said.

However both the visiting Minister and the Lankan Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peries noted that no time frame had been fixed for the implementation of the 13th Amendment plus.

“Due to the nature of the issue and its sheer complexity, it would not be desirable to suggest a time frame to President Rajapaksa. However it is heartening that the President himself brought up this issue,” Krishna said. “It is a process and we want to continue with substantive discussions. It would be an unrealistic and unhelpful approach to give a time frame to this process,” Peries added.

Krishna expressed hope in the dialogue process between the Tamil National Alliance and the Government. “We believe that continuation of the dialogue between the Government and the TNA would pave the way for political settlement, including under the rubric of the Parliamentary Select Committee,” he said.

The visiting Minister of External Affairs also stated that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report held productive information, which should be utilized in the process of reconciliation.  “We have noted the many constructive recommendations contained in the recently-released report of the LLRC. These recommendations, when implemented, would mark a major step forward in the process of genuine national reconciliation,” he said.

The issue of the fishermen had also been discussed and both parties had agreed to solve any issues without the use of force. “The issue of fishermen is an emotive issue and needs to be handled with care. As we explore possible solutions, we must ensure that there is no use of force against the fishermen and that they are treated in a humane manner,” he said.

This is Krishna’s second visit to the island since assuming office; his last visit was in November 2010. (Dianne Silva)