Welcome consensus on Joint Mechanism

The growing international and local support for the Government's proposed Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure in the tsunami-hit areas of the North-East, testifies to its inherently equitable character. As outlined by President Kumaratunga in India, the aim of the Government through the installation of this mechanism, is to engage all Lanka's communities in rebuilding the North-East.

Accordingly, the 'Joint Mechanism' has the character of an inclusive institution which would induct every relevant party in the rebuilding effort.

Therefore, it is beyond dispute that the 'Joint Mechanism' is essentially non-partisan and non-discriminatory towards the communities of this country.

Every relevant party to rebuilding in the North-East would win representation in the mechanism and would be made an active partner in the rebuilding to be undertaken.

A recent positive feature in the local support extended to the mechanism is the growing backing for it by Tamil parties. It is encouraging to find that even parties such as the EPDP and PLOTE are expressing support for the mechanism. Consolidating this support base is the backing extended by the CWC.

This gathering local support is growing in tandem with increasing international support for the mechanism. Thus the US has joined countries such as China, Japan, India and the European Union in expressing backing for the mechanism. Accordingly, we are having an expanding local and international consensus for this administrative arrangement in North-East rebuilding.

This consensus would translate into strong material and moral support for this mechanism which should be seen as facilitating the peace process. The Government should, therefore, have no hesitation in implementing the mechanism.

As pointed out by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in Washington, the Joint Mechanism is not a part of the peace process. However, its successful implementation could serve as a confidence-building measure between the Government and the LTTE. In other words, it could be instrumental in building cooperation between these important parties.

These developments should be warmly welcomed by all well-meaning persons and groups.

For, isn't peace the need of the hour? How could we have peace in Sri Lanka without making every relevant party and actor a stakeholder in it? Every reasonable person ought to see that there could be no peace in this land without the downing of arms on the part of rebel groups and other illegal structures. The ceasefire doesn't ensure this although we are having a lull in the fighting, as a result of it.

Only a process of inducting armed groups into the democratic process would ensure a downing of arms on their part. The Joint Mechanism should be seen as a launching pad to this all-important process.