Chandrika Kumaratunga’s assertion in Jaffna that she would cede all powers to the Northern Provincial Council, and offer greater devolution would — along with Maithripala Sirisena agreeing to Hakeem’s demand of the Eastern administrative district — lead to the Balkanization of the country, said External Affairs Minister Prof. GL Peiris addressing the press yesterday at the SLFP headquarters.

He said granting separate administrative districts on an ethnic basis would leave the country in pieces — a Balkanization of the variety that took place in Eastern Europe.

Different parties of the common opposition are trying to de-stabilise the country by engaging in racist politics and making contradictory statements, he said.

He said that Chandrika Kumaratunga who acts as the chief adviser to the so-called common Opposition candidate, promised to strengthen the powers vested in the Provincial Councils while another member of the opposition Patali Champika Ranawaka promised to reduce the powers vested in Provincial Councils while strengthening Governors’ powers. He said these are promises completely contradictory and cannot be met.

The minister said Kumaratunga who referred to the late LTTE leader Prabhakaran as a gentleman, and others of the common opposition have agreed with all demands made by the groups that have joined with them, though these demands are contradictory.

He added that although this government does not sponsor racism, the common opposition does. He added that the TNA and Rauf Hakeem who demands for a separate administrative unit for Muslims, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Ven Athuraliye Ratna Thera, the UNP and the JVP have formed a coalition that would affect the stability of this country at a time when S.Surendiran, S.J. Emmanuel, Rudra Kumaran etc are strengthening the Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) in the international sphere.

He added that the common Opposition candidate has no say over them.

Minister Peiris also added that there were great Muslim political leaders in the history of Sri Lanka from both parties, such as, A. C. S. Hameed, A. H. M. Fowzie, A. C. S. Marikkar, Bakeer Markar etc who came to power with the votes of the Sinhala community. He said that there is no discrimination to a person from any community to participate in politics.

“Therefore, there is no need for anybody to play the racist card,” the minister said.

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila were also present at the occasion.

DPLs kept by MS until Ranil surfaces

Meeting the diplomatic Co. this week in Colombo, the so called common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena had begged all those present to wait for Ranil Wickremesinghe to begin proceedings.

Though Wickremesinghe came in at 11 a.m. the meeting scheduled for 10.30 a.m did not begin until he appeared.

The diplomats had to be kicking their heels and the question asked by most of them was ‘would he wait for Wickremesinghe to run the country if he is elected?’

Will Cabinet meetings have to be held up until the UNP leader turns up under a (unlikely) Maithripala regime?