Govt awaiting TNA’s response to PSC invite

Disna MUDALIGE

The government is ready to proceed on the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) to arrive at a consensus on the national issue no sooner the TNA is ready to take part in this round table, External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris said. Responding to a question by a journalist at a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, the minister said the government representatives have been nominated and the terms of reference of PSC have already been formulated.

He said the delay is on the part of TNA and not on the part of the government.

He said the President has clearly stated that the PSC is the most effective mechanism to proceed on this matter reminding of the past endeavours which failed, since they came from the highest political level with inadequate participation of people. The President has stressed that lessons must be learnt from the failures of the past and that he prefers to listen to various opinions by people before deciding on the final solution.

He stated the TNA’s attempts to take local issues to the outside world are of no use and have no sense. He stressed the domestic problems must be solved within the country, adding that the government elected by people must be first consulted on such internal matters.

The minister said he instructed the Sri Lankan representative to the UN in Geneva to inquire and submit a full report on the UN Human Rights Commissioner’s meeting on Sri Lanka to be held by the end of this month as reported through the media. He said the Sri Lankan government has not been officially informed or invited for such a meeting. He said he only came to know of such a meeting through media reports.

Research and Technology Deputy Minister Faiszer Mustapha also participated