Topic
Ethnic Reconciliation & Devolution
885 speeches · 164 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 67 |
| 2 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 51 |
| 3 | Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan, M.P. ITAK | 48 |
| 4 | Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, M.P. ACTC | 37 |
| 5 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 30 |
| 6 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 27 |
| 7 | Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 8 | Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, M.P. SLMC | 25 |
| 9 | Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, M.P. JJB | 24 |
| 10 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 19 |
Speeches
885 on this topic- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan argued that the unitary system and inadequate power sharing have failed to address human rights, reconciliation, the economy, and the national ethnic question, and called for a federal-type political solution and reforms to the provincial council system. He requested administrative restructuring in Batticaloa District, including splitting large divisional secretariats such as Eravur Pattu and Porativu Pattu and resolving the long-pending Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat issue. He also criticized the 60:40 mixed electoral model for local authorities, saying it creates unstable councils and opportunities for bribery, and proposed either a fully proportional system or a 70:30 ward-proportional model. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan argued that the Provincial Council system established under the 13th Amendment has been weakened through the removal or non-implementation of key powers, including land and police powers, the separation of the North and East, and the transfer of functions such as Divineguma to the Centre. He said overlapping responsibilities in education, health, and roads, inadequate funding, deteriorating provincial services, and the failure to hold Provincial Council elections since 2018 have made the system ineffective. He urged the Government to restore powers to Provincial Councils and implement genuine devolution as a means to address the national question, promote peace, and support development. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir criticized the limited development allocations to Ampara Divisional Secretariats, arguing that Rs. 3.2 million per division is inadequate for meaningful local infrastructure work. He questioned the Government’s commitments on reducing prices and ensuring clean governance, citing an alleged unpaid political meeting at the Nintavur Pradeshiya Sabha auditorium and asking for an explanation. He urged the Government to hold Provincial Council elections, protect powers under the 13th Amendment, continue the “Urumaya” title deed programme, increase local and Eastern Province funding, and seek a united, consultative solution to the Kalmunai North/South issue rather than politically driven division. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan argued that powers removed from Provincial Councils after the 13th Amendment, including in cooperatives, education, health, agriculture and irrigation, should be restored and further devolution pursued. He called for Provincial Council elections to be held without delay and said the Eastern Province’s 2025 capital allocation, though increased, was inadequate for its needs. He requested action to fill staff vacancies in the Eastern Provincial Council and Local Authorities, provide waste-collection vehicles, fire engines and heavy machinery, and broaden Local Authority powers. He also referred to the Mahinda Deshapriya Delimitation Commission recommendation to reduce Local Authority members from 8,356 to 4,714 by a future election. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC NDF AI summary Faiszer Musthapha urged the Government to resolve the legal impasse preventing Provincial Council elections by appointing a review committee, headed by the Prime Minister, to submit the required delimitation review report to the President within two months. He argued that the absence of elected Provincial Councils since 2018 has weakened accountability under the 13th Amendment, and called for the preservation of ward-based local representation and the 25 per cent women’s quota in any reforms. On labour matters, he requested swift negotiations with plantation companies to secure a daily wage of Rs. 2,000 for plantation workers, citing the cost of living and prior failed efforts through the Wages Board. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe stated that Members had appealed to the Speaker to allow discussion on matters concerning Kalmunai, where both Muslim and Tamil communities live. He emphasized the need for Members to speak collectively and work toward a united decision on the issue. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem raised unresolved divisional boundary and delimitation disputes in Ampara, Kalmunai and particularly Koralaipattu Central, arguing that prior committee and Cabinet decisions have not been gazetted or implemented, causing administrative confusion including overlapping Grama Niladhari appointments. He urged the Government to resolve Tamil-Muslim boundary issues through dialogue with community representatives and Ministry officials, and specifically to implement the Panampalana Committee and Delimitation Commission recommendations granting Koralaipattu Central its allocated GN divisions and land extent. He also requested completion of the unfinished cultural hall at the Ottamavadi Multipurpose Co-operative Society premises and funding to rehabilitate the flood-affected Mowgideen Abdul Kader Playground and its derelict grandstand. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Rauff Hakeem clarified that reported exclusions from upcoming local authority nominations were partly inaccurate, stating that restraint orders on Mannar and Dehiattakandiya related to the previous nominations framework and that his party would move to withdraw those cases to enable elections. He raised concerns over a land dispute in Muththunagar, Trincomalee, where SLPA-held land cultivated by local farmers is being considered for renewable energy investment, and urged the Government to review the matter and release appropriate portions for community use. He also addressed the Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat issue, saying it involves boundary and jurisdictional overlaps rather than simple political obstruction, and called for a consensual administrative arrangement consistent with the 1993 Cabinet decision while accounting for demographic and service needs. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 4 March 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran raised the unresolved status of the Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat, arguing that despite a 1993 Cabinet decision upgrading it to a full Divisional Secretariat, it has been treated as an Assistant Divisional Secretariat without lawful authority. He questioned who had the power to alter or downgrade a Cabinet-approved decision, alleged administrative irregularities and land-related frauds, and requested a special committee to investigate and restore its full status. He also urged the Government to provide fair appointments for unemployed graduates in the North and East, particularly about 1,800 in Ampara, including those who passed competitive examinations. Appropriation Bill 2025 — Twelfth Allotted Day — Committee Stage Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration JJB AI summary The Minister thanked Justice Ministry officials and acknowledged constructive Opposition proposals on judicial reform, while stating that constitutional reform and abolition of the Executive Presidency remain Government commitments to be implemented according to its own roadmap. He said allocations have been made for reparations, reconciliation, and missing persons mechanisms, and pledged to address Northern and Eastern concerns while protecting judicial independence and avoiding political interference. He cited justice-sector vacancies as a cause of delays, noting recruitment of 753 officers, and said investigations and indictments on corruption, money laundering, past crimes, and the Easter attacks are proceeding without improper disclosure. He also referred to the Proceeds of Crime Bill as a mechanism for recovering assets derived from crime and rejected allegations of “deals” in relation to judicial accountability. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. M.K.M. Aslam JJB AI summary Hon. M.K.M. Aslam said the Ministries of Justice and National Unity are central to nation-building in a country affected by decades of war and communal tensions. He stated that institutions under the Ministry of National Unity have been allocated Rs. 2,895.5 million and argued that resolving the national question, promoting harmony, addressing corruption, and ending impunity are necessary for development. He highlighted Budget measures to assist 1,350 people with war-damaged properties, 5,000 families of the disappeared, and victims of the Easter bombings, saying the Government would use these mechanisms to pursue justice and unity. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam argued that reconciliation, accountability, and reintegration require the adoption of a new Constitution. He noted the Government’s stated intention to introduce one and urged that constitutional reform be prioritized to address the national question and support economic improvement. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam urged expedited bail or release for long-term detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and questioned delaying its replacement pending new organized crime legislation. He argued that genuine reconciliation is necessary for economic progress and requires careful handling, accountability, adequate funding for the Office on Missing Persons and Office for Reparations, and stronger attention to the Geneva accountability process. He called for a new Constitution to address reconciliation and the national question, proper implementation of language policy, and special attention to the families of the disappeared. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara JJB AI summary Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara raised concerns about an alleged conflict of interest involving a judge connected to an Opposition MP and requested that the Minister ask the Judicial Service Commission to examine the matter or clarify the allegation. Speaking on reconciliation, he cited his experience in Kilinochchi to argue that unresolved language issues continue to hinder administration and national integration, linking this to the legacy of the 1956 Sinhala Only Act and the marginalization of English. He urged practical reconciliation measures and supported the Government’s initiative to promote a common Sri Lankan identity, including a proposed “Sri Lankan Day” cultural festival. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah JJB AI summary Dr. S. Sri Bavanandarajah supported the Ministry of Justice and National Integration’s role in advancing equality, reconciliation and minority rights, urging remedies for those affected by past abuses, including under the PTA, and answers for families of the missing. He called for expedited trials or amnesty for long-remanded political prisoners, action on missing commission reports, and priority investigations into mass graves. He also requested practical justice-sector measures, including filling Jaffna Prison vacancies, appointing pharmacists, adding a Magistrate at Mallakam, recruiting court interpreters, appointing more inquirers and Justices of the Peace, and reducing the national case backlog. He further urged a rehabilitation centre in Jaffna, stronger action against drugs and gang violence, curbing police bias, and returning military-occupied private lands and reopening closed roads in areas such as Palaly, Myliddy and Kattuvan. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam welcomed the idea of an Independent Prosecutor’s Office but argued it must be genuinely independent, adequately resourced, and empowered to direct investigations and prosecute, particularly where the Attorney-General’s Department faces conflicts of interest in cases involving State actors. He cited habeas corpus cases, alleged mass graves at Kokkuthoduvai, Mannar and Chemmani, and contested antiquity/religious site disputes as examples where evidence preservation, credible procedures and institutional independence are needed. He also raised concerns about the predominance of former Attorney-General’s Department officers in apex court appointments, arguing that it affects perceptions of judicial credibility and disadvantages career judges. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Welcoming the Government’s absence of racist rhetoric, Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran called for repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and justice for families of the disappeared, including investigations into alleged disappearances at Vattuvagal and the Kokku Thoduvaai mass grave. He urged action on PTA detainees and political prisoners, citing the case of Anandhasuthakar, and demanded the release of Tamil prisoners. He also raised concerns over post-2009 land acquisition by the Forest Department and military in Mullaitivu and other northern districts, calling for mechanisms to return cultivation, residential, and livelihood lands to civilians before supporting the Ministry’s Votes. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of National Integration JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister argued that national harmony is essential to restoring the rule of law, the economy and social stability, and said recent elections showed public support for peace and a common Sri Lankan identity over ethnic or religious nationalism. He said the Government would strengthen reconciliation by integrating related institutions, addressing language barriers in public services, recruiting Tamil-proficient police officers, creating translator and interpreter pools, and using technology to promote language learning. He also proposed a “Sri Lankan Day” for cultural exchange and stated that State media would not be used to amplify hate speech. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 1 March 2025 The Hon. Mano Ganesan SJB AI summary Mano Ganesan moved the customary Rs. 10 cut to the relevant expenditure heads and urged the Ministry to treat national integration, social justice and equality as priorities alongside economic recovery and anti-corruption efforts. He called for constitutional reform and meaningful devolution within a united Sri Lanka, including strengthening the 13th Amendment, and asked the Government to dispel doubts about its commitment to devolution. He also emphasized full implementation of official language policy, proposing stronger use of the Official Languages Commission, Department of Official Languages and NILET to train and deploy language-skilled public officers and teachers so citizens can receive services in Sinhala or Tamil across the country. Committee of Supply: Ministry of Justice and National Integration (Head 110, Heads 228-236, Head 326) Read →
- 28 February 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna raised a Point of Order expressing that people in the North do not want further division in the country and wish to live with Sinhalese citizens as friends and as an integral part of Sri Lanka. He requested an assurance from the President on the introduction of a new Constitution and the granting of equal rights. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage Debate Continued (Afternoon) Read →