President to broach devolution of police powers at APC today

President Ranil Wickremesinghe would discuss the issue of devolving police powers to provinces, at today’s All-Party Conference Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) MP C.V. Wigneswaran said following a meeting with the President on Monday (24)

“We handed over a document sometime ago, asking for the Provincial Councils to be fully empowered. On Monday, I gave the names of five people for a committee to work on this. The President agreed to this, and he said he would add a few people, as well.”

Wigneswaran said that policemen in Puducherry, India, only carried batons and performed traffic duties, took down complaints, and did environmental duties.

“Maybe, on Wednesday, we can talk about a similar arrangement, where policemen without weapons operate at the provincial level,” he said.

The President will hold an All-Party Conference on Wednesday (26).

The conference will focus on reconciliation.

The SJB would decide whether to attend the conference following a discussion scheduled to be held yesterday evening, SJB National Organiser MP Tissa Attanayake said.

National People’s Power (NPP) had decided against attending the conference, former MP Sunil Handunnetti said.