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Samantha Power will ‘introduce federalism in Sri Lanka’ warns opposition MP

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila warned that US Ambassador Samantha Power plans on introducing federalism to Sri Lanka, a move that would “weaken” the country.

Mr Gammanpila said that Ms Power’s visit was part of a the UN’s Political Affairs Department program to introduce federalism to countries afflicted by ethnic conflict, stating “this programme was launched in 2012 on a proposal by Ms Power”.

“Sri Lanka is the programme’s next target and she is here to make sure it happens,” he claimed. “The US was successful in introducing federalism to Iraq and Nepal.”

Mr Gammanpila went on to speak out against Ms Power’s applauding of moves to weaken Sri Lanka’s executive presidency. “The US administration is based on an executive presidential system since 1789,” he said. “There are no dissenting views against its executive presidency because it wants to continue accumulating more power”.

“The US is well aware that before introducing federalism it is necessary to weaken the country by weakening the executive presidential system,” claimed the popular opposition MP. 

In the run up to her visit the MP stated he wondered whether the US saw Sri Lanka as recently conquered territory. Mr Gammanpila noted, "she has authored many books and also lectures a lot on war crimes. She constantly talks about the subject." Ms Power is the author of the award winning book "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide".

"Therefore I would like to tell Samantha Power, that it would be better if she does not visit our country" he concluded.

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