Mahinda ready to walk that extra mile - Mangala

The SLFP Chief Campaign Coordinator for the Presidential Election, Minister Mangala Samaraweera in a media release yesterday clarified certain issues in the 12 point consensus reached between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and the JVP, emphasising that some of the news reports carried in the media in this regard were wilful distortions.

Some senior members of the SLFP including Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse had a few rounds of talks with the JVP leadership in order to come to an understanding regarding the forthcoming Presidential Election and reached a consensus but no agreement has been entered into as yet.

The release said that under the consensus reached by both parties it was totally agreed they should hold discussions with all the parties including the LTTE in order to arrive at a lasting solution to the National Problem.

Presidential Candidate Rajapakse has by now categorically announced to the international media that he is resolutely determined to walk that extra mile to meet any person to discuss peace.

The media release urged the public not to be misled by false media propaganda that the understanding reached with the JVP will drag the country back to war. The consensus reached between the JVP and the Presidential Candidate is not a withdrawal from the Ceasefire Agreement but a better implementation of the ceasefire with necessary amendments to meet the current realities.

That had been the manifest stance of the Government throughout, the release pointed out. Minister Samaraweera categorically denied news reports that the parties agreed to reject the concept of the open economy and pointed out that what was agreed was nothing different to the policy brought before the public on the occasion of creating the United People's Freedom Alliance, in this regard.

The last budget based on this economic policy was acclaimed by a large majority of the entire country from the ordinary worker to the richest business tycoon.

The contents of the discussion was not at all in conflict with the historic mandate they received on April 02, 2004, the release stressed.

Referring to the recent past, the release stated that on the occasion of establishing the United People's Freedom Alliance with the participation of the JVP in 2004, Opposition forces resorted to publication of similar false propaganda to create a phobia of war and destruction which never came true after the victory of 2004.

The proposed agreement between the Prime Minister and the JVP has yet again dashed the dreams of his UNP rival. Hence the wild rumours that are being spread.

"However we are confident that distortions and false rumours of this nature will not hold good with the majority of this country. The proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the Presidential Candidate Mahinda Rajapakse and the JVP which is formulated embodying 12 factors covering political, economic, social and cultural aspects which were approved by the senior members of the SLFP will be signed very soon," concluded Minister Samaraweera.