Timely opportunity for JVP

PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapaksa’s appeal to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and indeed, all other political parties to join the Government at least for an initial period of one year could not have been made at a more opportune time.

The country is on the verge of beginning a massive development drive as well as finding a solution to the vexed ethnic conflict through the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) process. This is clearly not the time for political bickering as nothing less than the country’s future is at stake.

The JVP must keep in mind that they came to Parliament in 2004 as a coalition partner of the United People’s Freedom Alliance. If not for that partnership with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, it is highly unlikely that 39 JVP MPs would be sitting in the House today. In effect, the people gave a mandate to the JVP to share power at the highest level.

During the brief period that the JVP held ministerial portfolios, they showed a clear capacity for work.

Some of the concepts introduced by JVP Ministers including the Dahasak Wev (Thousand Tanks) programme were indeed praiseworthy and are being continued by their successors.

Although the JVP leaders have pledged support for the Government for its ‘good’ initiatives and has voted with the Government on several occasions, it would be far better for the party to return to the fold and work from within to achieve some of its objectives.

There are many commonalities between the Mahinda Chinthana and the JVP’s own programme. Both the SLFP and the JVP can find common ground on many issues.

The newly-started food production drive is a case in point. The emphasis of the food drive is on increasing local production of foodstuffs and ultimately, limiting or stopping imports of many varieties of food that can be sourced locally. This is exactly what the JVP has espoused.

Similarly, there are many common points in both parties’ views on resolving the ethnic conflict. It is a pity that the JVP was not involved in the APRC process. It would have been the ideal platform for the JVP to spell out its concerns and proposals.

Having missed the APRC bus, the JVP will still be able to participate actively in forging a consensus on the ethnic issue if they re-enter the Government. Some JVP leaders have been quoted calling for a military solution, but the party has never been opposed to a negotiated settlement per se.

The Government, on its part, must listen to the grievances and proposals of the JVP with an open mind and accommodate such ideas if possible. It will necessarily be a process of give and take and the ultimate aim should be the uplift of the Nation as the President has explained.

Although the President’s appeal was primarily aimed at the JVP, there is no reason why it cannot apply to other political parties as well.

Seventeen UNPers are already with the Government and some other parties which are not members of the UPFA are supportive of the Government. The time has come for the UNP to ponder its actions in the current context.

Opposing the Government even to the extent of trying to block international aid and loans will affect the populace, a substantial segment of whom voted for the UNP and other Opposition parties.

The UNP’s role must be that of an Opposition which offers constructive criticism. It should support the Government’s initiatives as long as they are people-oriented. The Opposition must remember it is a Government-in-waiting. It should not wait to throw its weight behind the Government if the beneficiaries are the people of this isle.