All parties confident of development, reconciliation

Lakshmi DE SILVA

All political parties were invited for the All Party Conference by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mass Media Information and Investment promotion Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said.

“All parties were confident that the wounds would be healed and development and reconciliation would take place rather than struggling with words and problems of the past. This was the first meeting of all the parties including the UNP and TNA and it was a positive move,”. Minister Yapa told the Cabinet press briefing yesterday..

The UNP had agreed to cooperate with the Government’s effort to bring peace and unity while the TNA Member of Parliament N. Srikanthan had said there could not be reconciliation without development in those areas, he said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will introduce a home grown solution to the problem and resettlement should also take place to make efforts of finding a solution to the problem. But the process could be completed only after de-mining the areas that were affected by terrorism earlier, the Minister said.

“We had gained much experience about displaced persons especially after the tsunami and the displacement of civilians due to terrorism over the years.

“Therefore we could even suggest solutions on displaced persons to other countries based on our experience. Though there were shortcomings we have given IDP villages telephones, banking facilities, pre-schools, schools and, vocational training centres . The Media Ministry is planning to put up a telecommunication tower in that area within 180 days,” he said.

The Minister said during his recent visit to Thailand and Singapore he had met top level industrialists of both countries who were willing to start industries in Sri Lanka.