Sinhala Jathika Peramuna said it petitioned the apex court on Wednesday seeking a writ against the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations regarding the 13th amendment, which was enacted in 1987 as part of Indian intervention to try and broker a solution to the Tamil demand for political autonomy.
The LLRC has recommended that government fully granted all powers to provincial councils in terms of the thirteenth amendment including police and land powers.
"When we went before the LLRC we represented matters against granting of full powers. But the LLRC has completely ignored our concerns and has only accommodated things in favour of granting full powers," said Jayantha Liyanage, the general secretary of SJP.
Liyanage said the LLRC's recommendations have caused international embarrassment to the government. "The LLRC has attracted interest of the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora and the US state department," Liyanage said.
The SJP expects a favourable verdict from the Appeal Court, he said.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa's nationalist allies have also launched a campaign for scrapping the 13A.
The implementation of the 13A is considered an important tool in achieving political reconciliation after years of conflict and bloodshed.