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The on-going Parliamentary election campaign offers the country the opportunity to seek consensus across the political mainstream on a negotiated settlement of the ethnic problem. Up to now an elected government has had perforce to explore ways and means of ending the ethnic conflict whilst the Opposition has remained free to thwart it by every means available to it.

This has been so despite the acknowledge fact that the two major parties, the UNP and the SLFP which alternate as government and opposition have both unreservedly accepted devolution of political power as the constitutional device for the needed political settlement, the LSSP said in a statement yesterday.

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party which at all times has viewed the ethnic conflict as the major problem of the country, is of the considered view that unless the "sovereign people" intervene in this matter at this election the same errant political behaviour will be repeated after the election no matter which party forms the government.

Cross party consensus on the needed political solution and / or bi-partisan approach to a projected peace process have at all times been advocated by progressive forces in this country. But this has been so much water on the proverbial duck's back.

Hence it is that we were in the sorry position of having nothing concrete to offer to the LTTE at negotiations even where the latter had entered the process of negotiation on a political settlement that excludes separatism.

The LSSP wishes to make the forthcoming parliamentary election the occasion to urge the people as voters to demand of the UNP and the SLFP that they commit themselves to take forward through the next elected government the process for reaching a political solution within the parameters of devolution.

Given this commitment the voter is free to elect the government that he thinks is best suited to address the totality of the problems the country is faced with. These problems range from the cost of living to sustainable economic development in the face of the challenges of imperialist globlization.

For a considerable period of time LSSP has urged on the public the reality that none of these economic problems could be adequately addressed without the restoration of peace that goes beyond what has been achieved through the Ceasefire MoU.

Populist election promises made by the respective parties on these issues are knowingly misleading where there is no meaningful commitment of these parties to take all possible measures to end the civil war and restore peace.

The two year long ceasefire and the involvement of the LTTE in the political process has had its irreversible impact as is seen today in the sizeable divisions within the LTTE fold. The fissures within a monolithic power-based organization cannot be contained within the apparatus itself.

The people who have been subjected for long years to the terror of that organization would understandably aspire to take into their hands the right to determine their political future.

The LSSP fervently hopes that the UNP and the SLFP as the major factors involved at the political level in the south will not throw away these most significant advantages gained on the side of political democracy. These undoubtedly are the unanticipated dividends of the peace process.

It is appreciated that neither the UNP not the SLFP has opted for an openly communalist platform at this election. This is a positive development and a significant step forward in the politics of this country. But it cannot be overlooked that communalist undertones persist in the approach of the respective parties to what has gone on as the "peace process".

The position that a return of a UNP government would lead to a division of the country is as irresponsible as the counter position that the SLFP lead Front in governmental power would inevitably mean a resumption of war by the LTTE.

The division within the LTTE are seen to have occurred on issues of a regional character. These do weaken considerably the military arm of the LTTE. But the need of the Tamil people to find a political solution to their ethnic problem as defined in the ugly events of 1983 will rightly and justifiably persists.

Men like Anandasangarai, the President of the TULF, have shown that this is not a matter to be resolved solely through the LTTE. Militant organisations like the EPDP and PLOTE have shown this concern over several years and refused to fall in line with the other Tamil parties on the LTTE demand that it be regarded as the sole representative of the Tamils in the matter of reaching a political solution with the Government. The Muslims too have shown revolt.

This dissent has been strengthened by the post-ceasefire events. The LSSP however reiterates its position that a meaningful political solution cannot be contemplated without agreement between the UNP and the SLFP.

It must be accepted that the UNP's attempt to bring about peace through the ceasefire MoU has failed to gain the confidence of the people. It was attempted without reference to the SLFP/PA led Opposition in Parliament.

The UNP government's hopes of success in its peace enterprise through the involvement of the so-called "international community" ended with the collapse of its only achievement which was the program for the "Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement" in the war affected areas.

This has demonstrated the reality that globalized money markets cannot be expected to solve for us our political problems. They have their own agenda which can pose to us as dangerous a threat as that of the feared separatism.

The LSSP notes that both major parties and their cohorts seek from the people a two-third majority in Parliament in order to carry through constitutional change. To say the least this is unrealistic. Proportional representation that is provided for in the Constitution does not allow any party even in the best of situations to seek and obtain that degree of success in our Parliament.

This adds to the LSSP's argument that short of mutual agreement neither the UNP nor the SLFP could hope to achieve constitutional changes in Parliament. To make the people believe that constitutional change could be carried through regardless of imperative constitutional provisions can be dangerous and misleading.

The LSSP feels encouraged by the promise of the respective parties to carry through measures and adopt policies without reference to the IMF. This however can be no more than a pipe dream so long as the civil war situation in the country is not ended.

The continuation of the war or its threat, and the resulting drain on our resources would inevitably push the government to the IMF and adherence to its 'conditionalities' as was proved in the financial years 2000-2003.

As a first step in reaching the needed consensus the LSSP calls upon the respective parliamentary election fronts led by the UNP and the SLFP, and other political parties and groups to unequivocally declare to the people that they will support a peace process that has as its objective a political settlement within the parameters of the devolution of political power that preserves the territorial integrity of the country and respects the sovereignty of the people.

Given this commitment it is for the voter to ensure that tub-thumping candidates not likely to fall in line with this demand are denied his preferential vote. The same fate of defeat must befall parties that fail to make the declaration that is called for. The voter must ensure that every candidate of the major political fronts and parties commits himself credibly to this responsibility.

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