The
closure of Menik Farm camp which
once housed 300,000 Tamils displaced
during the country’s decade-long
ethnic war is a milestone in
addressing the issue of displacement
in Sri Lanka said United Nation's
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
in Sri Lanka Doctor Subinay
Nandy on October 24, reports
Daily News. Nandy said
that as the country transitions
from a conflict situation to
peace and development UN support
currently spans in both humanitarian
and development spheres. Under
the humanitarian funding UN
has mobilized nearly USD 300
million since 2010 to support
emergency operations in conflict,
flood and drought affected areas.
From 2008 to end 2012, the UN
supported the Government through
technical and financial assistance
to a total value of approximately
USD 600 million, he said.
Meanwhile,
National Freedom Front (NFF)
Leader and Housing and Construction
Minister Wimal Weerawansa on
October 25 (today) said that
the 13th Amendment to the Constitution
is similar to a time bomb waiting
to explode, reports Colombo
Page. Explaining that the
13th Amendment would result
in a federal governing structure
where powers are devolved to
the provinces, Minister Weerawansa
noted that the Government and
the country would be faced with
many problems in such an eventuality.
According to Weerawansa, the
Government needs to take firm
steps to repeal the 13th Amendment.
The
Minister has requested President
Mahindra Rajapaksa to hold a
referendum to repeal the provincial
council system. The campaign
in Sri Lanka to repeal the provincial
council system brought into
existence by the 13th Amendment
is growing momentum as the major
Tamil party, Tamil National
Alliance (TNA), is refusing
to participate in the Parliamentary
Select Committee (PSC) proposed
by the Government to devolve
power. |
