President Mahinda Rajapaksa wouldn’t tolerate any dissent within his government to proposed devolution of power to the provinces on the basis of 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said at a press conference at the Information Department. The President had emphasised that he wouldn’t give in to pressure from any party, he said.

Minister Yapa said the President had received an assurance from coalition parties, at a special meeting held at Temple Trees, on Tuesday (June 30) that they wouldn’t hinder his efforts.

Recently the UNP and JVP challenged the President to reveal his position on the 13th Amendment against the backdrop of JHU and National Freedom Front (NFF) declaring war on devolution of power. The JVP, too, has vowed to oppose the 13th Amendment.

The President has told his ministers that this could be tackled the way he had handled opposition to the country’s war against LTTE terrorism. Responding to The Island query whether the President had told the JHU and National Freedom Front (NFF) led by Wimal Weerawassa, MP, not to cause trouble, the minister said that none of coalition partners had challenged the President’s position.

The President has assured that he wouldn’t do anything detrimental to the country while seeking an opportunity to overcome what he had categorised as the second major problem confronted by his government.

Responding to another query also raised by The Island, Yapa advised this writer to be cautious in reporting the issue but when challenged to prove any previous instances of him being misreported, if any, the minister acknowledged there had been none.

He said that though a political solution to the national issue would definitely be placed before the people at a referendum as promised in Mahinda Chintanaya, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution could be implemented without being referred to the people.

He said that a government controlled daily had recently misquoted him as having said that implementation of the 13th Amendment would be preceded by a referendum. He said though the 13th Amendment had been forced on Sri Lanka by the then government of India there couldn’t be any legal obstacle to its full implementation.

The President was confident that his government could successfully overcome political issues, too, now that the LTTE had been militarily defeated, the Minister said. Commenting on the APRC (All Party Representative Committee) process, Yapa said that any of its recommendations beyond the ambit of the 13th Amendment would require a referendum.