Will Sri Lanka’s bid to devolve power to provinces ‘provoke extremist backlash’?

Many are angry at president’s move to ‘fully’ implement a 1987 constitutional amendment which would grant more autonomy to regions

There are fears some provinces – including former separatist Tamil area in north – will become too powerful if local powers, including for police, are given the green light

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Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 9:53am, 24 Feb 2023

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s plan to “fully” implement a long outstanding constitutional amendment, transferring more power to provincial authorities, has left critics sceptical amid widespread instability.

While some politicians and analysts said the move could benefit the country, they have questioned Wickremesinghe’s motive in raising the issue as Sri Lanka’s political and economic turmoil continues, with millions living in dire straits amid soaring living costs.

Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda, a Sri Lanka-based political scientist, said the implementation had to be done carefully “as it might provoke [an] extremist backlash”.

Wickremesinghe has not taken any measures to prevent such backlashes, he said, “so I am not sure about the sincerity of this move”. He added that the president’s true motive may be to create “confusion” and “division”.

The 13th amendment prescribes creating provincial councils and devolving powers to them on land, police, health, education, agrarian and financial matters.