SL Parliament approves Tsunami Bills

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 May 2005, 15:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Wednesday adopted the Tsunami (Special Provisions) Bill and the Disaster Management Bill. Mr.John Seneviratne, Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms and Ms Sumedha Jeyasena, Minister for Social Services and Women Affairs moved the Tsunami (Special provisions) Bill and Disaster Management Bill respectively, parliamentary sources said.

Mr.John Seneviratne said under the existing law death certificate of a person died or disappeared in man-made or natural disaster could be obtained only after one year. But the new Bill would empower the authorities concerned to issue death certificates in such cases within six months.

Ms Sumedha Jeyasena said the new Disaster Management Bill is brought to curb irregularities in providing relief to affected people suffered in man-made or natural disaster.

Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, parliamentary group leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) said that the proposed Joint Mechanism to rehabilitate and reconstruct the tsunami affected coastal areas if implemented would strengthen the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) currently weakened due to internal rivalry. "Hence the JHU will oppose the implementation of the JM," said Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, parliamentary sources said.

He added that LTTE rebuilds its military machinery every time whenever there is cessagtion of hostilities due to peace activity, sources said.

Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian said Sri Lanka will witness far-reaching political changes if the government fails to sign an agreement with the LTTE to establish a joint mechanism to reconstruct the tsunami destroyed northeast coastal areas, sources said.

Mr.Hassan Moulavi, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarian said the Muslim community has suffered immensely due to tsunami, more than what they suffered in the two-decade-old war. This should be taken into serious consideration when proposing a structure to provide relief and rehabilitation, sources said.