A political solution

At last the long awaited a political solution to the ethnic conflict appears on the horizon. The final draft of the political solution agreed upon by the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) is to be handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 23.

This is consequent to a request by President Rajapaksa to APRC Chairman Prof. Tissa Vitharana.

Thereafter, the President is due to brief the Cabinet and political party representatives outside Parliament on the contents of the draft proposal before going ahead with its implementation.

According to our lead story yesterday the President had announced his decision to go ahead with implementing the draft proposal at a special meeting at Temple Trees to Cabinet Ministers and participants of the APRC.

At this meeting the President had pointed out that although there have been diverse views expressed at the deliberations of the APRC the hour had come to decide on a set of proposals which could be practically implemented.

The nation would no doubt have heaved a huge sigh of relief at this glimmer of hope offered by the President to end the three decades of bloodletting salvage the country’s future.

This is the time for all political parties and groups to put aside all parochial considerations and extend the hand of cooperation to the President in his bid to deliver the nation from terrorism whilst putting in place a political package that would unite all communities.

It will also be an acid test for the international community which had been waxing eloquent on the need for a political solution.

It would be interesting to see the reaction of India, Japan, US, Britain and the EU who had been vociferous in advocating a political solution.

Now that a political solution is on the table what would be their stance ? This is where they run the risk of being exposed if they fail to promote the President’s bid for a political solution acceptable to all communities.

There are of course stumbling blocks. The UNP, the JVP and the TNA are out of the APRC process for diametrically opposite reasons.

The President’s move have no doubt caught the UNP on the wrong foot for its constant refrain had been that the Government should put forward a solution first.

The public at large not least the UNP supporters would be keenly watching the party’s stance, now that a package would be out.

While we are yet to learn of the UNP’s reactions to this ground breaking move there is also the key factor of the LTTE to be considered.

The outfit had so far spurned the offer of peace and how it will react to the proposals no doubt will be keenly watched.

Will it make peace overtures at this stage when the outfit has been militarily debilitated ? It pledged yesterday to again abide by the ceasefire 100 per cent. Most are likely to dismiss this claim given the organisation’s track record.

The Government’s avowal to keep the talks option open may create an opening for the outfit to explore the current proposals.

At the same time the Government should do well to guard against Tiger machinations that may be designed to wriggle out of the military grip it is caught in.

Following the BC pact and DC pact this is the first time that a solution to the problem is emanating from a Head of State after the All Party Conference of the President R.Premadasa and Mangala Moonasinghe Committee report were still born.

President Rajapaksa has always wanted a home grown solution to the conflict dispensing with nomenclature such as federalism and it would be interesting to note if such features are contained in the draft proposals.

It would be prudent that the proposals be given the widest possible air in the public forum. All Proposals of the past fell by the wayside because the public were kept in the dark.

The Regional Council proposals of President Chandrika Kumaratunga was a case in point.

This shows the need for co-opting the support of all segments not least the main Opposition, for any Constitutional framework incorporating the draft proposals will require its passage in Parliament by a two thirds majority in addition to a public referendum.

True, there is no guarantee that any solution devised even with the best of in intentions would proceed smoothly and is bound to run into practical difficulties as the country witnessed in the implementation of the Provincial Council system. A political will is therefore necessary to forge ahead with whatever solution.

The country expects President Rajapaksa to provide this political leadership that would spell an end to war and unite all communities in amity, brotherhood and reconciliation.