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| Tuesday, 21 January 2003 |
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| Opposition will lend unqualified support to peace - Rajapakse by Jaffna special correspondent Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse said in Jaffna that the opposition will lend its unqualified support to the peace talks in progress. Rajapakse said so after he opened the 'Gurukulam' for Hindu priests at Annaipanthy, Jaffna on the invitation of Hindu Affairs Minister T. Maheswaran last week. Rajapakse said peace talks were first mooted by the President and therefore it behoves on those in her party to lend full support for the realisation of her sincere endeavour. "Under no circumstances are we going to scuttle the peace talks", he said amidst applause. Rajapakse was accompanied by the parliamentarians A. H. M. Fowzie, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Lakshman Premachandra, Piyasena Gamage and Piyankara Jayaratne. Rajapakse further said that it is the bounden duty of the opposition to point out the shortcomings in the peace talks. Many construe this as an attempt to torpedo the peace talks. This is a misconception, he said. "He said "in good faith" we stand for a solution of the ethnic problem acceptable to all. We want the Tamils, Muslims and the Sinhalese to live peacefully in this country. Consensus reached at the talks should afford a place of honour and dignity to the Tamils and the Muslims. At the same time the Sinhalese should not have room for discontent and disaffection". The problem affecting the Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese in this country he said are basically the same. The youths of our country are faced with unemployment. The cost of living is rising to dizzy heights. The Tamil and Sinhalese peasantry are faced with the problem of finding a ready market and fair price for their produce. New laws enacted in Parliament are designed to crush the working class in this country. My further criticism on this subject, I am afraid will put my good friend Maheswaran in peril. Therefore I don't like to dwell on this further, he said. Rajapakse emphasised several times that peace is the prime need of the country. "We shall stand firm and steadfast to safeguard the rights of the people till the dawn of lasting peace," he said. |
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