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| Monday, 15 November 2004 |
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Common consensus vital to expedite peace talks - Malwatte Mahanayake Thera by L. B. Wijayasiri The Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala thera observed that whatever the efforts made by foreign peace brokers to expedite the peace talks with the LTTE, those efforts would not bring fruitful results, unless and until President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe came to a common consensus on how to expedite peace talks should be made. The prelate made those observations when UNF MP Prof. G. L. Peiris called on him on last Saturday at the Aramaya of the Malwatte Maha Viharaya in Kandy. Ven. Sumangala Mahanayake Thera added that he was of the view that those two national leaders should come into a common decision to bring about peace in the country and it was compulsory on them to decide. It appeared the same interest taken by foreigners had not been exhibited by local political leaders in this problem. The hope and expectation of the majority of the people of this country was that the ethnic conflict should be solved by finding a lasting solution that would be acceptable to all. The leaders of two main political powers should join hands in finding such a solution. They must make a joint effort. He was happy that the President and the Opposition Leader had agreed to discuss and he hoped that a common decision would be arrived at very soon, the Mahanayake Thera said. "The attention of both leaders should be drawn to the fact that the solution should be 'one country in which basic rights of the people of all ethnic groups could be protected. Two main national political parties and other parties as well should join hands and decide as to what the LTTE could be given and convey those proposals to the LTTE so that they would not be able to reject it," he said. The Mahanayake Thera said that if they wanted to see for themselves the hardships undergone by the poor rural people they must go to those rural areas. They could not see the real position from Colombo. Prof. G. L. Peiris said that they are opposed to divide the country. The problem should be solved by sharing power within one country. If the Government was prepared to resume talks with the LTTE based on the Oslo declaration, Oslo communique and Tokyo declaration, the UNF was prepared to support it, Peiris said. He accepted the position that the President and the UNF leader should carry on their deliberations continuously. The Secretary to the Malwatte Chapter Ven. Walgowwagoda Wimalabuddhi Nayake Thera was also present. |
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