Samantha Power trying to introduce federalism: Gammanpila

23 November 2015 08:47 am

The objective of the visit of US permanent representative to the UN, Samantha Power to Sri Lanka is to promote federalism, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed today.

He said the UN’s Political Affairs Department has launched a programme to encourage third world countries which are caught up in ethnic conflicts to introduce a federal administration.

“This programme was launched in 2012 on a proposal by Ms. Power. Sri Lanka is the programme’s next target and she is here to make sure it happens. The US was successful in introducing federalism to Iraq and Nepal,” Mr. Gammanpila told a news conference.  

He said at a news conference on her arrival, Ms. Power had commended the measures being taken to abolish the executive presidency.  

Mr. Gammanpila said abolishing executive presidency would weaken the country.

“The US administration is based on an executive presidential system since 1789. There are no dissenting views against its executive presidency because it wants to continue accumulating more power. The US is well aware that before introducing federalism it is necessary to weaken the country by weakening the executive presidential system,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)