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| Thursday, 26 February 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| LSSP calls for commitment to political solution and alternate economic policy The Lanka Sama Samaja Party yesterday called on the UNP and the Freedom Alliance to come up with an agreed basis for a political solution to the ethnic problem in their election campaign as a feasible way out of the constitutional impasse. Issuing a statement the LSSP notes that the UNP and the SLFP (and its Alliance) are in their respective election campaigns seeking for each of them a sufficient Parliamentary majority as would enable them to pass through Parliament the needed constitutional amendment embodying the necessary political solution. The statement adds that however the present Constitution does not allow any political party to gain for itself the special majority needed for constitutional amendment. The LSSP is therefore of the considered view that the only feasible way out of this situation is for the major political parties to offer to the electorate in the course of this election campaign an agreed basis for the desired political solution. This is the assurance to the country that no matter who wins the election, peace process would be taken forward to successful conclusion and "as a basis for such agreement the LSSP commends these parties to the PA Government's Constitutional Amendment Bill brought to Parliament in August 2004." The statement also adds: "On arrangements made within the People's Alliance the Lanka Sama Samaja Party has included its candidates for four districts in the nomination papers of the SLFP-JVP Alliance known as the People's Freedom Alliance. The LSSP has not sought or obtained membership in the Alliance. The LSSP has its reservations on the policy statement of the Alliance but it is of the view that this would not justify division in the ranks of the anti-UNP forces by the LSSP contesting on its own. It has therefore made arrangements with the SLFP to jointly field candidates. The LSSP considers that the forthcoming election should be the means for seeking commitment from the major political parties to an agreed political solution to the country's ethnic conflict. The LSSP has confidence in the SLFP leadership's commitment to a political solution that embodies comprehensive devolution of political power within a united Sri Lanka. The LSSP does not see any significant difference in the economic policies of the two major parties. Neither party presents a policy of economic development that is an alternative to what is forced on Third World countries by the IMF. In a situation in which in the years 2000 and 2001 the SLFP led PA and the UNP had both signed with the International Monetary Fund agreements with identical "conditionalities" it is essential that the SLFP-JVP Alliance defines for itself an economic and political programme that is an alternative to IMF inspire strategies as are contained in the UNP's Regaining Sri Lanka. Mere slogans populist in nature and the airy statement of objectives cannot be a substitute for strategies that safeguard and expand local production both in agriculture and industry and the resulting expansion of employment. A progressive revenue policy that secures the living standards of the poor and the low income strata and helps maintain such welfare facilities as State education and free healthcare can no longer be ignored. Prevailing revenue (and tax) policy are those that are inspired by the IMF as evidenced by the GST under the PA and VAT under the UNP. The public needs to be warned that the failure of the next government to maintain the peace process can result in further dependence on the IMF whether such government be of the UNP or of the SLFP Alliance. The LSSP commends to progressive civil society, and its organisations that are interested in bringing the peace process to a successful conclusion the task of pushing the major political parties to public commitment to negotiations with the LTTE on the basis of agreement between themselves." |
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