Unite for progress

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's call to her Government for the inculcation within it of a spirit of collective responsibility - we hope - would meet with a ready, positive response. The need of the hour is steady progress in the socio-economic and cultural spheres, but governmental partners at cross purposes could defeat this worthy project.

When the majority of the people voted the UPFA Government to power in April last year, what they looked forward to was a government which would work consensually and unitedly towards a realisation of the progressive policies which the UPFA manifesto proclaimed.

A tug-of-war between the alliance partners on fundamental policy issues is a scenario which was never envisaged by the people. Nor did they expect anything even remotely resembling a power struggle within the alliance. The people didn't anticipate that one party would try to show off its perceived strength at the expense of the other.

It is very significant that President Kumaratunga made these comments at the launching of the second phase of the Dahasak Wev project of the Government. Here's one project that reflects in no uncertain terms, the progressive character of the Government.

Through it, the Government evinces its care for the country's agricultural sector, the farming community and the people in general. While the industrial and manufacturing sectors are receiving due emphasis in Sri Lanka's development drive, a programme aimed at reviving and sustaining part of the country's water resources, points to a new and growing concern in the State to fend for the ordinary masses. Along with the Rate Perata project, the Dahasak Wev programme testifies to the Government's keenness to alleviate the poverty burden of the people.

This is a welcome change in development thinking. Rather than pin all hopes on the "Trickle down Theory," with its bias on wealth-creation in some selected sectors, the current rural bent of the Government points to a concern for economic empowerment at all levels of society.

The gains from these projects, however, need to be premised on concerted, united action on the part of the Government. Accordingly, we appeal that a sense of collective responsibility prevails in the Government for the successful realization of these pro-poor policies.

We also endorse the pronouncement of the President that sections of the Government should not play around with terms and phrases when addressing issues arising from the peace process. The JVP cannot plead ignorance of what was intended to be done collectively on the peace front by the State. It knows, as well as any responsible section, that a negotiated political solution, spelling fairness to all, is the best answer to the ethnic conflict.

Accordingly, rather than adopt a negative attitude, the JVP would do well to discuss these issues very closely with the Government and arrive at a consensus on how the State must proceed to resolve the conflict - a task that is long overdue.

All concerned need to remember that governmental stability is an essential precondition for national progress. Without such stability all would be losers. We hope it would be the resolve of all relevant sectors to work towards a strong and vibrant Sri Lanka.