|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 14 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Full support for new Government Pramod de Silva in Washington D.C. The peace talks will be long and hard but the government and the international community will never agree to a separate state, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said on Wednesday. "There is no way we can grant a separate state. India, US and other countries have said 'no' to a separate state. Something less than that will be welcome," Minister Kadirgamar said. Delivering a lecture on "Sri Lanka; Current developments and future prospects", at the Brookings Institute, Washington, the Minister said no Government would be able to grant everything in the LTTE's Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals. "Peace talks broke down over one year ago. The LTTE will be accountable to the people. They are likely to realise that the international community will not be on their side if they lag on any longer. It will be a hard, long discussion. We will sit down for talks, see how far we can go," he added. "The Norwegians are back as facilitators. There is high international interest and frankly, the internationalization of this issue has gone a bit too far. We maintain very friendly ties with India. India's backing is important for the resolution of the ethnic conflict', Asked by a member of the audience whether he would be seen as an "impediment" to the peace talks, Minister Kadirgamar said if that was the case, he would be prepared to stand down. Questioned whether separation could be achieved by an expression of popular will, the Minister said the popular will not be truly reflected as long as the LTTE remains armed. Excerpts from the Minister's lecture: "Democracy may not sometimes be a dynamic vehicle for economic growth. There have been dictatorships which have achieved economic growth at the expense of individual freedoms. "In a democracy, the people can overturn the Government in power. It reflects the true power of the people. They will not give up democracy. Take India, where 600 million people have been voting for the last few days. In Sri Lanka, 80 percent turned out to vote. It is a multi-party democracy and I think coalition politics are here to stay. "The Proportional Representation (PR) system has become an unfair and unworkable exercise. It is very difficult for any party to get a working majority under this system. This is not good for the people. It leads to intra-party fights, as candidates compete with each other for the preferential votes. This is a bad situation. We seek to change this system and go in for a mixture of PR and first-past-the-post system. Protection of minorities will be ensured. "People are supreme in a democracy. They have a little a ballot paper in their hands that can overturn Governments. The voter is astute, well-informed, and he knows what type of government he wants. People want performance. Their message to political parties is - do not reject our basic needs. If you do, you will suffer at election time. We must remember the basics - cost of living, unemployment, rural economy etc. We must strive to uplift the rural economy. We must get our priorities right. "During my discussion with Secretary of State Colin Powell, he assured full support to the new Government. It was pointed out that the recent election was remarkably free and fair. We live in turbulent times - the ethnic conflict has not been resolved yet. I doubt whether the poll in the North-East was free and fair, but overall, it was. The people's message was, don't take us for granted. "Several new parties emerged at the last election, the most prominent of which was the Jathika Hela Urumaya. This is an all-monk party, which gained more than 500,000 votes to win nine seats. This is a new phenomenon in Lankan politics. It is a unique thing; we have to see how it works out. "The other significant feature is the rise of the JVP. They won only one seat in 1994, but won 10 in 2000. In 2001, they had 16. At the last election, they gained 34 seats as partners of the United People's Freedom Alliance. This is a remarkable progression. They are now fully in the political mainstream. They now have four ministries. They have learned the art of politics, Parliamentary procedures and traditions. Their conduct is characterised by solid homework, discipline, punctuality and hard work. They are full of plans. They are dedicated and committed. They have gained the voters' confidence. People have said: 'We are giving them a chance'. They have to fulfil the people's aspirations. If they do not deliver, the people will take that into account in exercising their franchise. "Another significant development is the emergence of the Tamil National Alliance. It is widely seen as a proxy of the LTTE. They have 22 votes in Parliament, which is significant in a 225-Member House. "Sri Lanka was a victim of terrorism long before 9/11. Now it is a worldwide phenomenon. We share your anguish at terrorist atrocities. The US has admirers all over the world. It is a land of hope and opportunity. We will remain a firm friend of the US." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
