Govt. will enthrone Easterners’ democratic rights - Keheliya

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Government will embark on a programme to ensure the democratic rights of the Eastern population through guaranteeing their political and economic freedom, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

Addressing the weekly security press briefing in Colombo the Minister said political rights of the Eastern population will be upheld by holding Local Government and Provincial Council elections.

“The right of franchise of the Eastern people had been grabbed by LTTE leader Prabhakaran for the past two and half decades,” Rambukwella said.

The Government took immediate steps last week to amend the Local Government Elections Ordinance to fast track the holding of Local Government elections in the Eastern province.

“Therefore, the Liberation of East is a great achievement in which we should rejoice in that it has ensured the political freedom of the Easterners,” the Minister said. He said the Treasury has allocated of Rs.6.5 billion for the development of the East. “A 180-day crash programme will be implemented to ensure the economic freedom of the Eastern population and the Government has already initiated this through the Eastern Reawakening programme,” the Minister added.

“We won’t be able to complete everything within 180 days, but we will have a very strong foundation for future development programmes,” he added.

Rambukwella said the process would be challenging since the LTTE is bound to unleash violence to cripple Government’s plans to develop the East and to establish civil administration in the Province.

“We face that challenge squarely,” the Minister added. Rambukwella said there is a requirement of 30,000 Security Forces and Police personnel to ensure a secure East adding that Police personnel serving in other parts of the country will be deployed to meet this requirement.