Leader of the Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sajith Premadasa, has pledged in his manifesto to amend the current constitution to facilitate the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, which devolves land and police powers to the North-East, despite criticism from National People Power leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who labelled it a false promise.
“The government will be committed to fully implement the current constitution, including the 13th amendment to the constitution, until the passage of the new Constitution. Reaffirm the commitment to provincial councils by not retracting the powers granted to them, and instead, strengthen the developments made at the provincial level,” reads Premadasa’s manifesto.
Premadasa has emphasized the need for a new constitution through “proper consultation with religious dignitaries, political parties representing the parliament, and members of the civil societies” to ensure the full implementation of bills such as the 13th Amendment.
He also expressed a desire to transform the current political system into a parliamentary system with “maximum devolution.” However, he does not clarify what he means by “maximum,” or whether this includes police, administrative, and legal powers, which most other political parties do not even mention. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe stops short of fully implementing the 13th Amendment, whilst the topic has been noticeably omitted in the manifestos of Namal Rajapaksa, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake altogether.
The 13th Amendment was brought in after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement of 1987, which calls for a merged North-East and the devolution of police and land powers to the province. However, it has been consistently rejected by the Tamil people as not being an adequate solution, whilst the Sri Lankan state for decades has obfuscated its implementation.
Dissanayake reportedly slammed Tamil politicians, such as M A Sumanthiran who recently came out in support of Premadasa, for ‘buying’ false promises by southern candidates with regard to the 13th Amendment. According to the Sunday Times, Dissanayake described it as similar to a “blank cheque”.
Beyond these points, Premadasa's manifesto does not delve deeply into issues concerning the Tamil people, apart from promising equitable living conditions for North-East fisherfolk. He also assures that the Police Ordinance will be updated and the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act will be abolished.
“The Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act will be abolished, and a new anti-terrorism law that protects national security and human rights will be enacted.” Additionally, he pledges to implement the Trilingual Language Policy as required under the current constitution of Sri Lanka.
The manifesto can be found here.
Despite these lofty promises, Premadasa has surrounded himself with several individuals accused of war crimes who are now serving as his advisors and on his security committee. These individuals are eyeing top positions in Sri Lanka’s military and government should the SJB come to power.
For example, former Chief of Defence Staff Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage was appointed as the head of the SJB’s Anti-corruption Unit. Liyanage is accused of overseeing the Mullivaikkal genocide over a decade ago as the head of the army’s Task Force 3 during the Sri Lankan military’s 2009 offensive. Tens of thousands of Tamils were killed as the military shelled hospitals, deployed rape and sexual violence, and executed those who attempted to surrender.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu also joined the SJB under Premadasa's leadership. Ironically, Bandu has been appointed as the head of SJB’s committee for national unity, peace, and harmony at home and abroad. Bandu previously served as a Squadron Commander with Sri Lanka’s Special Forces before becoming the Joint Commanding Officer of the Civil Security Department for Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu.
Premadasa also welcomed Daya Sandagiri, the 14th Naval Commander of Sri Lanka, to the party. Sandagiri has a controversial history; in 2006, then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa stated he would appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate military procurement deals entered into by Sandagiri, who had recently stepped down as Commander of the Navy and was Chief of Defence Staff at the time.
Additionally, Premadasa welcomed former Army Commander Daya Ratnayake to the SJB, another official who oversaw military operations during the Tamil genocide and has repeatedly denied that any war crimes took place.
Premadasa has repeatedly spoken out against holding Sri Lankan war criminals accountable, and in 2020 spoke out against a US travel ban on army commander Shavendra Silva over his role in executing Tamils. “He is one of the heroic field commanders who spearheaded the national effort to eradicate terrorism,” said Premadasa at the time. “As a country we will always stand with the war heroes that brought an end to 30 years of terrorism,” he added in his tweet.
