President begins moves for Southern consensus

PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapakse, no sooner than he assumed office commenced implementation of his election pledge to establish an undivided country forge a majority consensus and achieve a dignified peace.

In terms of his election manifesto, he has taken preliminary steps to meet all parties represented in Parliament to discuss an approach peace.

Accordingly the President discussed peace proposals with the Jathika Hela Urumaya a few days ago and a delegation of JVP Parliamentarians met the President at Temple Trees and discussed peace proposals at length last Wednesday.

The discussion touched on issues relating to the ground work, places and countries where peace talks could be held, steps to bring to an end the massacres and violence by the LTTE in the North and East,the Ceasefire Agreement and other groups who should be participants at the peace discussions.

The President underlined the importance of giving the people of the North and East a better deal.

Representing the Government, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Maitripala Sirisena, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dulus Alahapperuma took part in the Wednesday's discussion.

The JVP was represented by its leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, General Secretary Tylvin Silva, Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake.