Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam accepts the Unitary State Constitution of Sri Lanka, said Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda.
A press release issued by the Fisheries Ministry states that TNPF leader Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam told Minister Devananda that he accepts the Unitary State Constitution of Sri Lanka.
Ponnambalam stated that his party accepts the current unitary system of the Sri Lankan Government and will be sworn in accordingly in Parliament after which he will take steps to fulfill his political aspirations.
Ponnambalam made these observations during a debate between Minister Douglas Devananda and Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam on August 16.
Ponnambalam had said so while they were taking part in a programme on a Private Television Channel.
During the discussion, Minister Devananda said that the leaders of Tamil National People’s Front condemned the Unitary State and said that no solution other than the Federal System could solve the problems of the Tamil People. Furthermore, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, the parent party of the Tamil National People’s Front, must have in the party Constitution that a Unitary System of Government should be realistically available to all, irrespective of race, religion or language. However, the Minister pointed out that this is not the case in the party Constitution at present, where there is no mention of the Federal System and in such a situation, stating that Federalism will be given to people at times of election, amounts to cheating the public.
In response to Minister Douglas Devananda’s statement, Kumar Ponnambalam stated that his party accepts the current unitary system of Sri Lankan Government and will be sworn in accordingly in Parliament after which he will take steps to fulfill his political aspirations.
