Mahinda must give priority to solving ethnic conflict - LSSP

Mahinda Rajapakse as the President of Sri Lanka will have to give the highest priority to solving the ethnic conflict, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) said yesterday.

In a statement issued to the media, the LSSP called upon Rajapakse to carry forward the policy of President Chandrika Kumaratunga in this regard and continue the work done by her with a view to urgently working out a negotiated political settlement based on a very wide devolution of power while maintaining the ceasefire now in force.

The LSSP called upon all progressive forces in our country to rally round Rajapakse, the common candidate of all progressive parties and ensure his victory at the coming Presidential election.

Rajapakse's victory will signify the defeat of all the treacherous forces beholden to foreign imperialists and their agents, it said.

Preventing the victory of the UNP and Ranil Wickremesinghe will also clearly indicate the rejection once again of the policies, of subservience in the imperialist monetary agencies such as the IMF and the World Bank as clearly shown by the mandate of the people given in the election of August 2004, the party said in a news release.

The LSSP urged all the progressive masses of our country to elect Rajapakse as the President to carry forward a progressive programme that will ensure the strengthening of our national economy, safeguard the welfare measures won by the people such as free education and free medical and hospital services, provision of essential food and other consumer items at a reasonable prices and safeguarding the rights of workers.