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from Panadura group correspondent Kapila Somaratne

Reginald Cooray, the Chief Minister, Western Province said we believe that if the United National Front and the People's Alliance shedding their political differences and get together and cooperate with each other they could findout the best political solution to solve the national problem confronted by the entire people in our country ending the 20-year old ethnic war. Today the people have a doubt about the present peace talks initiated by the government.

He said however the People's Alliance and President Chandrika Kumaratunga will not go against the peace process of the United National Front govt. The President wanted to establish a permanent and honourable peace safeguarding the rights of all citizens living in our country.

He was addressing the 55th National Independence celebrations held on Saturday in Panadura town in the presence of a large gathering.

A cultural show by the schoolchildren in Panadura Education Circuit was held.

The Chief Minister said, during the past 55 years no political party which ruled the country achieved economic freedom because the political parties were at logger heads. The time has come for the two major political parties to get together shedding the political differences and work to achieve permanent peace considering the country's future generation.

Cooray said the cost of living has skyrocketed, but the public are waiting with patience because they believe that the government's peace process would work out ending the 20-year war. A temporary ceasefire would not solve the ethnic war. It is a dream, he said.

Mahinda Samarasinghe the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Kalutara District Chief UNP organiser said all of us know the last bus of peace is proceeding on the LTTE road in a very peaceful manner to reach the destiny of peace. If all of us miss this bus, there will be no permanent political solution to the 20-year old ethnic war.

Therefore the government had no objection for political parties getting into the bus of peace shedding their political differences to solve the ethnic problem, Samarasinghe said. He said when Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Leader of the United National Front took over the country, it was economically bankrupt. However the Prime Minister took immediate action to uplift the country with the help of the Cabinet Ministers.

Panadura Urban Council Chairman Deepthi Asoka Abeywickrama said the public in Panadura commemorate the heroes who won independence to our country.

He said the government during last year performed a historical event by establishing the peace process and halting the 20-year ethnic war. Therefore the entire citizens of the country must give their entire support to the government to end the war permanently and create a modern Sri Lanka.

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