The United National Party (UNP) today charged that the Northern Provincial Council has overstepped it constitutional mandate by passing a resolution that called for an international investigation on Sri Lanka.

The resolution passed by the Northern Provincial Council calling for an international probe on the war in Sri Lanka is illegal as a provincial council has no power over international affairs, UNP MP President’s Counsel Wijedasa Rajapaksa said.

He told journalists today that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution does not provide provisions to pass resolutions calling for an international probe.

He said the central government has the power to dissolve the Council, but if such a decision is taken the call for a self- rule in the North could intensify.

Taking the government to task over the northern issue, Mr. Rajapakse said the present regime had invited the UN for a probe on alleged war crimes by agreeing to it in accordance with an MoU signed between the government and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. He recalled that the Darusaman committee was appointed by the UN following this agreement.

However, he said the UNP is prepared to support the government in overcoming whatever challenges it may have to face in Geneva in March if it acts genuinely without trying to take political advantage from it.(Yohan Perera & Ajith Siriwardana)