The EPDP headed by Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda has urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to consider the inclusion of solutions socially and politically required such as resolution of longstanding land disputes and freeing of political prisoners, for the well-being of the Tamils in North.
Responding to the President’s request to political parties including the EPDP leadership to participate actively to empower an all-party government, Devananda has submitted 10 demands in a memorandum, while appreciating the President’s work programme for activating and implementing a common agenda with the unconditional support of political parties, intelligentsia, civil activities, etc.
The 10 demands include holding of provincial council elections, establishment of a special committee for supervising and regulating the full empowerment of constitutional provisions related to 13th Amendment, freedom for prisoners detained in prisons under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, release of private lands occupied by the Security Forces in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, declaration of archaeological sites by gazetting and reconsidering the gazette notification declaring land suitable for agriculture, aquatic cultivation and grasslands as forest reservations.
Also the EPDP has requested to consider proportional representation to be recognized in the recruitment of Security Forces and Police service on ethnicity basis.
Other requests are playing the national anthem at state ceremonies in both Sinhala and Tamil, and taking action to amend the Elections Ordinance enabling Sri Lankan migrant workers to exercise their franchise at the general elections.
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