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Peace moves

Within days of the UNP’s electoral victory, the LTTE launched several minor attacks on security forces strongpoints and frontlines. That this occurred soon after a political party that advocated peace had won parliamentary elections, could be interpreted as a provocative action on the part of Mr. V. Prabhakaran.

It is an indication of the UNP’s political maturity that these attacks did not provoke any angry rhetoric or aggressive military action by the Government.

The United National Party, in this sense, has the advantage over the People’s Alliance. The UNP, in its previous tenure, bore the brunt of the Tamil militant movement’s secessionist war almost from its inception.

Of course, that UNP regime also must bear the responsibility for the worsening of the ethnic conflict that prompted the insurgency. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the sheer experience of the evolution of a war could help in the formation of a sophisticated and mature approach towards resolving it.

While the UNP may have this advantage of a greater experience of war, neither it nor the People’s Alliance have any experience of the kind of genuine and sustained inter-party collaboration that is required to settle the conflict in a comprehensive manner.

Perhaps the UNP is able to be more restrained in the face of Mr. Prabhakaran’s aggressive antics. But while restraint is most desirable in the reduction of hostilities and tensions, something far more is needed for a complete end to the conflict.

New political arrangements are needed and for these to be sustainable, political co-operation is essential. And co-operation is needed not just between the major political parties in Sri Lankan but also between governments in the region and outside. 

All this requires a dexterity of policy and strategy that will mobilise the resources for peace both nationally and internationally in a fruitfull manner. Such is the test of the UNP as it takes up the most critical challenge of our nation.

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