Oct 21, Colombo: Inner circles of the Sri Lankan government are considering to repeal the Provincial Council system that was established under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to devolve power, according to a report in a local Sunday newspaper.

Quoting an unnamed senior Minister, the Sinhala Weekly Divaina reported that the government is under pressure from both inside and outside to repeal the Provincial Councils system since the 13th Amendment has become a threat to the unity of the country.

Organizations and individuals supporting the government have pointed out that a 19th Amendment to the Constitution can be brought to decentralize the power and abolish the 13th Amendment since the government has a two-third majority.

A majority of the government believes the provincial council system will lead to another conflict in the country in the future and will be a hindrance to the development of the country, the report further said.

The Provincial Council system was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1987 as a requirement of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed between India and Sri Lanka to end the civil war.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, according to the report, at separate occasions have expressed that the provincial council system is an obstacle to government's development programs.

The report goes on to say that some organizations island wide are organizing protests to pressure the government to abolish the provincial council system.

Sri Lanka's Sinhala National and Buddhist Organizations have commenced collecting one million signatures for a petition demanding the abolition of 13th Amendment to the Constitution.