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"We have now arrived at a watershed in the contemporary history of Sri Lanka. We are preparing for historic talks with the LTTE for which the foundation has been prepared meticulously; which will have a critical bearing on the future of our country.

It is against the backdrop of those critical events that you are here to assess the situation and see how best you could contribute to the emergence of the viable and equitable solutions to the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka,". said Minister of Enterprise Development Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion delivering the keynote address a forum of federations on "Constitutional reform and Conflict Resolution: Federal Options" held at the Hotel Galadari recently.

Sri lanka had abundant promise at the time of gaining independence; with the highest per capita in this part of the world, a few dollars behind Japan and ahead of other countries but was not able to realise the full potential of the country due to mismanagement of ethnic relationships by successive administrations. This country is at a critical stage in development, Minister Peiris said.

"The expertise we have around here today is exceedingly valuable to the government of Sri Lanka in addressing a particular cluster of issues. They all revolve round interim procedures. The nature of the conflict and the history in our country is such that it is scarcely feasible to straight away plunge into in-depth discussion of all the substantive issues. With a chequered history, in regard to this matter it is necessary to consider the past and not repeat the errors that have marred relations between communities in Sri Lanka".

In the opinion of the Minister, what went wrong on many occasions is the instance upon threshold conditions. The assumption was that one had to address all the issues to come to a conclusion. "Not repeating the mistake we wanted to put an end to the carnage, butchery and bloodshed, deproscribe the LTTE and begin talks.

This is an achievement not to any individual or political party but to the country. People are rediscovering for themselves vast regions of Sri Lanka, which had de facto been separated from the rest of the country". The Prime Minister's philosophy is that we should proceed step by step.

The Cessation of hostilities has engendered confidence. The point of departure was to send supplies of medicine and other necessities to those regions as a part of the country which is a duty of the government, easing living conditions of those living in the affected areas of the North.

Roads opened, schools vacated by forces, agriculture and fishing recommenced, and most of all there was a change of mindset of the people living in the affected areas. As long as the people get accustomed to the culture of peace, it is going to make difficult for a war to be started again. The deproscription of the LTTE is an internal matter. A great deal of time and energy has been spent preparing the agenda for the talks, said the Minister.

"In this situation, you can help us structure an interim process which will be a viable instrument for grappling with the highly complex issues lying at the very core of the conflict we are dealing with on this occasion.

Where should we start. Just as South Africa did it, the interim process has to be carefully crafted in order to accord with the circumstances that exist in our country. With all of you here, drawing upon from so rich a background of diverse experience, this will stand us in good stead as we prepare to keep our tryst with destiny". said the Minister.

"There are legal and constitutional issues, economic and political issues. All these are intricately intertwined. Whatever requests made should be linked with the continuity of the process. The legal and constitutional aspects are to retain in full measure the confidence of the people.

This requires a high level economic and development oriented activity. The peace process will bring tangible advantages. In this exercise patience, perseverance and dedication are called for. We have to work all this into the cohesive framework", the Minister said. 

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