Joint mechanism first move to end war - President
 

BY RANIL Wijayapala

OFFERING a Joint Mechanism for the LTTE to work with the Government for the well-being of the people in tsunami hit areas in the North and East will be the first move towards putting a stop to the war, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga emphasised yesterday.

President Kumaratunga expressed optimism that there won't be any opposition to the proposed Joint Mechanism from the JVP as they clearly indicated in the SLFP-JVP agreement they would agree to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the LTTE to solve the North and East problem.

She was addressing a public rally in Piliyandala to coincide with the commencement of several development projects including the laying of the foundation for a fly-over at Piliyandala town.

Addressing the public, the President said it was useless to talk about peace in the country if the Government was unable to provide a joint mechanism for the LTTE to work with the Government for the tsunami victims.

"We should offer them the joint mechanism to work for the well-being of the tsunami affected people with the Government regardless of who opposes it," the President added.

She added that the Government was having discussions with the LTTE which earlier resorted to violence to achieve their goals holding the position that they too would come to a political mainstream one day as other political parties did in the past.

"No one cannot stick to one position forever. The LTTE too may change in the future as they have already changed their position from a separate state to an Interim Self Governing Authority," the President added.

"They have now come to a level of asking only for a Joint Mechanism for the tsunami hit North and East to work with the Government," she added.

She said the LTTE which waged a war against the Government demanding a separate state, for the first time has agreed to work with the Government in the North and East for the benefit of the tsunami victims through this Joint Mechanism.

The President added that the Joint Mechanism would only be applicable in a two kilometer coastal belt in the tsunami hit North and East.

"The Joint Mechanism will only be applicable to the two kilometre coastal belt hit by the tsunami in the North and East. The administrative functions of other areas in the North and East will continue as they were done earlier," the President added.

She pointed out that the JVP, in the SLFP-JVP agreement, clearly agreed to a peaceful negotiated settlement to the North and East problem.

"They too agreed to some sort of power sharing with the SLFP agreeing to the devolution of power and the JVP agreeing for the decentralisation of power," the President added.

"The Joint Mechanism too is some sort of a power sharing as agreed by the JVP in the SLFP-JVP agreement," the President added. The JVP has agreed to any sort of solution reached through a negotiated settlement with the LTTE if the majority of the people are for that solution, the President pointed out.

President Kumaratunga said seven of the nine political parties in the Freedom Alliance, agreed to offer a joint mechanism for the LTTE to work with the Government in the tsunami hit areas in the North and East.

President Kumaratunga expressed optimism that the people would give their mandate to achieve the Government's peace initiatives as they were sure that the Government would not misuse the mandate given to it.

The President said political parties at this juncture should decide whether they should work towards the benefit of the country or for the benefit of their political party.

"The SLFP has clearly decided to work towards the well-being of the country," the President reiterated.

"I don't think the JVP will create any trouble towards offering such a mechanism to the LTTE. Therefore, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe won't be able to make his dream a reality," the President added.

She said UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was engaged in a campaign which was not upto a leader of his calibre to sabotage the programs of the Government by attacking the 100 meter buffer zone proposed by the Government.

Western Provincial Council Governor Alavi Mowlana, SLFP General Secretary and River Basin Development and Rajarata Development Minister Maitripala Sirisena and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Vishwa Warnapala also addressed this public rally organised by Kesbewa SLFP organiser and former Deputy Minister Chandana Katriarachchi.