QUOTING _DIRECTLY_ FROM: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/overstepping-authority-raghavan-tennakoon-gunaratne-bungle/ When contacted today by Colombo Telegraph, Governor Rāghavan confirmed that he has planned this ‘official visit’ to India to negotiate the return of 83 000 registered refuges and 20 000 unregistered refugees to Sri Lanka. When queried on what authority he, as a Governor of a province has in negotiating such resettlement which is a central government issue, Raghavan replied that” as the custodian of the people of the North, in the absence of a functional provincial council, it is well within my responsibility to attend to the day to day grievances of the people. I’m going to India to get in touch with the refugees and related agencies. I want to find out if they are returning with their free will”. When asked who authorized this planned negotiation, Raghavan stated that “I have made an application for the authorization of this visit, and I’m awaiting the permission of the President”.
Speaking to Colombo Telegraph on the condition of anonymity our Foreign Ministry source stated “it appears that Rāghavan, ignorant of the powers not vested in him has attempted to use his political shortcuts to undermine the authority not just of the central government, but that of His Excellency the President”.
A source at the Presidential Secretariat confirmed this attempt by Rāghavan stating “Rāghavan kept the President in the dark when seeking permission that he was venturing in to a serious violation of the constitution. However the President’s Secretary Udaya Seneviratne has taken prompt measures to update the President to avert a serious debacle”.
Strongly disputing Rāghavan’s claim our Foreign Ministry source stated “Governor Rāghavan is not awaiting President’s approval. That is a lie. The permission was granted by the President who was kept in the dark about Rāghavan’s actual intentions. Presidential Secretariat forwarded Rāghavan endorsed request to the Foreign Ministry which in turn was forwarded to the High Commission in India. Rāghavan is fully aware of this fact. We have also confirmed that Sri Lanka’s envoy to India, Ambassador Austin Fernando, a former Governor himself, has communicated his fact based, forth right observations on this matter in no uncertain terms, saving embarrassment to the President and the government”.
When questioned by Colombo Telegraph whether venturing in to state negotiations is a power vested in a Governor of a province, Rāghavan stated that “it is, according to the constitution I know. When questioned if foreign policy and refugee issues fell under the concurrent list between the provincial government and the central government, Raghavan replied “I’m not sure, I have to refer to the constitution”.
Under the 13th amendment, subjects falling separately under the provincial government and central government are spelt out whereas those subjects shared by the two entities are maintained in a concurrent list.
Commenting further on this debacle our source at the Presidential Secretariat opined: “it appears that the overconfident Governor about to venture in to a bipartisan negotiation with India was basically unaware or pretending to be unaware that he would be causing a serious violation of the constitution and foreign policy. Such ignorance or arrogance and overzealous attempts at abuse of power by the newly appointed Governors come at a heavy cost to the President and to the government”.QUOTING _DIRECTLY_ FROM: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/overstepping-authority-raghavan-tennakoon-gunaratne-bungle/ When contacted today by Colombo Telegraph, Governor Rāghavan confirmed that he has planned this ‘official visit’ to India to negotiate the return of 83 000 registered refuges and 20 000 unregistered refugees to Sri Lanka. When queried on what authority he, as a Governor of a province has in negotiating such resettlement which is a central government issue, Raghavan replied that” as the custodian of the people of the North, in the absence of a functional provincial council, it is well within my responsibility to attend to the day to day grievances of the people. I’m going to India to get in touch with the refugees and related agencies. I want to find out if they are returning with their free will”. When asked who authorized this planned negotiation, Raghavan stated that “I have made an application for the authorization of this visit, and I’m awaiting the permission of the President”.
Speaking to Colombo Telegraph on the condition of anonymity our Foreign Ministry source stated “it appears that Rāghavan, ignorant of the powers not vested in him has attempted to use his political shortcuts to undermine the authority not just of the central government, but that of His Excellency the President”.
A source at the Presidential Secretariat confirmed this attempt by Rāghavan stating “Rāghavan kept the President in the dark when seeking permission that he was venturing in to a serious violation of the constitution. However the President’s Secretary Udaya Seneviratne has taken prompt measures to update the President to avert a serious debacle”.
Strongly disputing Rāghavan’s claim our Foreign Ministry source stated “Governor Rāghavan is not awaiting President’s approval. That is a lie. The permission was granted by the President who was kept in the dark about Rāghavan’s actual intentions. Presidential Secretariat forwarded Rāghavan endorsed request to the Foreign Ministry which in turn was forwarded to the High Commission in India. Rāghavan is fully aware of this fact. We have also confirmed that Sri Lanka’s envoy to India, Ambassador Austin Fernando, a former Governor himself, has communicated his fact based, forth right observations on this matter in no uncertain terms, saving embarrassment to the President and the government”.
When questioned by Colombo Telegraph whether venturing in to state negotiations is a power vested in a Governor of a province, Rāghavan stated that “it is, according to the constitution I know. When questioned if foreign policy and refugee issues fell under the concurrent list between the provincial government and the central government, Raghavan replied “I’m not sure, I have to refer to the constitution”.
Under the 13th amendment, subjects falling separately under the provincial government and central government are spelt out whereas those subjects shared by the two entities are maintained in a concurrent list.
Commenting further on this debacle our source at the Presidential Secretariat opined: “it appears that the overconfident Governor about to venture in to a bipartisan negotiation with India was basically unaware or pretending to be unaware that he would be causing a serious violation of the constitution and foreign policy. Such ignorance or arrogance and overzealous attempts at abuse of power by the newly appointed Governors come at a heavy cost to the President and to the government”.