Mass Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane yesterday said that the government would resort to legal action against the Common Opposition for signing an agreement with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which will lead to separatism.

He was answering a query from a journalist at a media conference as to whether the government is planning such a course of action since supporting or aiding and abetting moves to separate the country is punishable under the country’s law. Since the agreement was signed in secrecy the government needs to study how it could be done.

When told that the Common Opposition has denied signing an agreement with the TNA and it will do anything to prevent a course that will lead to separation and asked how the government could prove the allegation, Abeywardane said the agreement has been signed in the presence of TNA MPs Thurairajaratnam, Anandan and Sivashakthi.

The agreement was signed by the Common Opposition Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka with Opposition leader Ranil Wicremesinghe while Parilamentarian R. Sambandan represented the TNA.

"The UPFA government will not betray the masses and allow the country to be divided in return for votes," Abeywardane stressed.

The government will grant the rights of the Tamils and establish a separate Provincial Council for the North, he added.

It is the UPFA government who defeated the LTTE after a 30 year war and we do not want to see the country returning to an era like that, he said.

"If the Opposition doesn’t agree to constitutional reforms, the government will have a parliamentary election and seek a mandate from the people to bring in the necessary amendments to the Constitution," the Minister said.

Government also plans to form Village Councils with more constitutional powers in order to launch development projects more effectively he said.

Courtesy: Island