UNP response shortly

Rashomi Silva

COLOMBO: The United National Party (UNP) is shortly expected to respond positively to the Government's request to offer its cooperation in solving the ethnic conflict, party officials said.

The UNP said it will not attach any conditions to give their support, but said the party was firm that any solution to the ethnic problem be found within an undivided country.

"They have asked for our cooperation in solving the National problem. We in the UNP has been offering our support from the beginning," said UNP Deputy Secretary Tissa Attanayake.

Meanwhile, SLFP General Secretary Minister Maitripala Sirisena said the party position on power devolution and ethnic conflict will be out early next week. "We believe in maximum power devolution. It is better to invent our own system of devolution than being trapped in a one form of devolution or the other," he said.

General secretary Sirisena who is also the Mahaweli and Agriculture Minister said the Government has invited all political parties represented in Parliament to join hands with them to resolve the ethnic crisis.

He said the Ceylon Workers Congress and Upcountry People's Front has already responded to the request and joined with the Government. "We have invited the JVP to join the Cabinet and are trying to find a common ground," Minister Sirisena said.