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| Wednesday, 24 December 2003 |
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The need for continued negotiations Text of speech of Rauff Hakeem, MP, Minister of Port Development and Shipping, Minister of Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs and Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, on the 2nd reading of the Budget November 27, 2003. (Continued from the Leader Page of December 22) A basic flaw that one can see in the July 2003 proposals of the Government and the ISGA proposal of the LTTE , is that they do not address the final settlement. This aspect too could be rectified, if as we suggest, the Government would re-formulate its proposals, following discussions with the PA. Our post-independence history is replete with examples of agreements and pacts that have been signed between the Government of the day and Tamil parties, only to be rescinded due to pressure from the main opposition party. We should not let history repeat itself. If we allow petty political partisanship to overtake us, future generations, who will inherit this problem, perhaps many times more complicated, will curse both these parties I may quote here from Romeo and Juliet referring to the famous feud between the families of Montagues and Capulets : "A plague on both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me". This is what was said in regard to a similar situation. The SLMC for its part is already having discussions with Muslim parliamentarians, intellectuals, professionals and academics holding various shades of opinion, to arrive at a consensus in formulating its own set of proposals, which we hope to table when discussions and negotiations begin, hopefully with us as equal partners participating as a separate party to the negotiations. We also feel that India should play a greater and a more active role in the peace process. I believe, the PA whole-heartedly welcomed the Joint Statement by India and Sri Lanka at the end of the visit of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to India from 19-21 October, 2003. Reading the relevant paragraph of the Statement, I detect a qualitative shift in India's position regarding the resolution of the ethnic conflict. It states, "India supports the process of seeking a negotiated settlement acceptable to all sections of Sri Lankan society within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and consistent with democracy, pluralism and respect for individual rights. It believes that an enduring solution has to emerge purely through internal political processes. India will maintain an abiding interest in the security of Sri Lanka and remains committed to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. India would welcome a resolution of the current impasse in the peace process and an early resumption of negotiations. Any interim arrangement should be an integral part of the final settlement and should be in the framework of the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka". Sir, the Indian Government has invited us, and our party and our constitutional team and we are leaving tonight after the vote and we will be discussing with Mr. Yashwant Sinha in Delhi about the current situation and our point of view. Three of my Members of Parliament too will accompany me and we will also be having discussions with certain other constitutional experts regarding our counter-proposals. At this point, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Rt. Hon. Christopher Patten, the EU Commissioner for External Relations for impressing upon the LTTE leadership yesterday, the indispensable need for a separate Muslim representation at the peace talks, during his visit to Killinochchi. There is a need for urgency in the task of conflict resolution. Political stability must be quickly re-established for Sri Lanka to fulfil its economic promise and for the people to enjoy fully the peace dividend. If the conflict between the President and Government is not speedily resolved, there is also the danger of the international community losing their faith in the Sri Lanka. They may begin to see our leaders as persons who only care about their personal powers and privileges rather than their responsibilities to the masses of people. As Confucius had stated "If man does not give thought to what is distant, he will find sorrow close at hand". Mr. Deputy Chairman, the conflict between the President and Government appears too much of an elitist struggle for power at all costs. Instead of trying to annihilate each other totally, and escalating the conflict, our political leaders need to negotiate with each other. And they need to remember, especially the President and her team that the mandate of the people at the last general election was for a negotiated peace and not for a war for peace. Mr. Deputy Chairman, Martin Luther King said, We have to learn to live as brothers or perish as fools. |
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