UNP to submit fifth proposal to APRC

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 January 2007, 17:57 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is expected to submit its own political proposals to the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) when it meets on January 8 in the parliamentary complex, political source in Colombo said. This is in response to a decision taken by the Experts Committee of the APRC on Thursday to stop all further discussions on its recommendations until all political parties participating in the APRC submit their political proposals to end the ethnic conflict.

The panel of experts advising the APRC met Thursday and dispersed without fixing a date of reconvening.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the panel Mr.D.Peiris submitted his resignation as the head. Several members of the panel had been of the view that they need clarification from the APRC on their future role.

The panel of experts was appointed five months ago by President Mahinda Rajapakse to advise the APRC on drafting proposals to end the ethnic conflict.

According to UNP sources, UNP's political proposal includes temporary merger of the northern and eastern provinces for a period of eight to ten years, and expression of support to the Rajapakse government if it brings a legislation to this effect in the parliament.

Earlier, eleven members of the experts panel endorsed one report labelled by the press as “majority” report, four members submitted a “minority” report, and the two remaining members submitted two “dissenting” reports.