The UNP yesterday called on the government to reveal the contents of its Action Plan on accountability and reconciliation presented in secrecy to the US recently.
Senior UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella, addressing a news conference in Colombo, said that a delegation led by External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris, which concluded its visit to Washington on Tuesday, had submitted an Action Plan to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, consequent to the US Resolution on Sri Lanka on Accountability and Reconciliation, which was adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, on March 22.
Kirielle said that any undertaking pertaining to national issues should first be submitted to Parliament,but the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime which was in the habit of calling UNPers traitors at the drop of a hat, was dancing to the tune of the Obama administration, while stating that it would not allow foreigners to dictate terms.
According to information received, the Action Plan Prof. Peiris had submitted to Clinton in Washington, was vastly different from what President Rajapaksa and his Ministers had been telling the Sri Lankan public, Kiriella said, adding that they were acting contrary to the Constitution. He said that the proper procedure should have been to permit the legislature to debate the proposed programme of action before making secret pledges to foreign countries and the UN.
The US Resolution called on the Sri Lankan government to implement an Action Plan and for the UN Human Rights Commissioner to work in consultation and with the concurrence of the Sri Lankan government in implementing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
by Zacki Jabbar
IS