Govt. firmly committed to a political solution - Prof. G.L. Peiris

The Government is firmly committed to a political solution, while it is convinced that military action is necessary to implement an equitable political solution, Export Development and International Trade Minister Professor G.L. Peiris said.

He was addressing the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore under the chairmanship of Senior Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry Singapore Dr. Balaji Sadasivan.

The challenge is to strike the right balance between the political and military elements in an overall strategy, the Minister said. The reality, is the holding of elections in the Eastern Province which enabled the people to use their franchise to elect a Provincial Council of their choice after a lapse of two decades - would not have been possible without military action to clear the Province, he said.

The image of a ‘War President’ is not compatible with the facts of the situation Prof. Peiris said. For seven months after his election in November 2005, President Rajapaksa made persevering efforts to engage the LTTE in a political dialogue.

He sent Government representatives to Geneva on two occasions, but these efforts were not fruitful, the Minister said. He said military activity resumed only after the LTTE had taken action to cut off water from the Mavil Aru anicut.

The Government has the resolve to pursue a political dialogue, but wishes to ensure that the current effort, will yield practical results’ an essential condition for this is an adequate degree of public support, he added. Implementation of the 13 Amendment will administer a powerful impetus to confidence building, he said.

In the meantime, issues concerning the economy are being constantly addressed by the Government. The growth of the economy by seven per cent during the last three years, despite challenging circumstances, is a great achievement, he added.

The Government is coping with fresh difficulties brought about by escalating fuel prices and commodity prices. Its response involves equal attention being given to a variety of aspects - macro-economic management, infrastructure development and welfare measures, minister said.

Especially in the power and energy sector, many mega projects are going forward with assistance from foreign Governments and multilateral institutions. The development of ports, highways and irrigation systems is also receiving priority.

Another significant concern for the Government is equitable distribution of resources with in the country, he said. He explained a wide range of affirmative action programmes put in place by the Government to ensure escalated development of remote regions of the island, with special reference providing rural schools access to new opportunities such as information technology.