Solution to National Question:

PSC provides best possible avenue

The appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) is the best possible avenue to find a solution to the National Question. Since government and Opposition politicians elected by the people are included in the PSC, its recommendations can be accepted by all sections of the people, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Minister Rajapaksa said this when visiting Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi met him at the Economic Development Ministry on Thursday.

Minister Rajapaksa said the TNA demanded that the government should agree to some of its proposals if it was to attend the PSC. If the government and other parties entered into prior agreements, there was no meaning in appointing a PSC.

"The meaning of the TNA proposal was that the PSC should be a mere rubber stamp. But the government's objective was to see a PSC finding a longstanding solution to the National Question by acting as a people's committee," he said.

Minister Rajapaksa said national political parties as well as all parties representing various sections of the people should make a genuine effort to solve this problem.

"The TNA claimed that it was the sole representative of the Tamil community. The LTTE made a similar claim and annihilated the leaders of other Tamil political parties. But when you take the results of elections held in the past as a whole, the TNA had not been able to muster a majority of votes in the North and East," Minister Rajapaksa said.

"Given this situation how could the TNA claim to be the sole representative of the Tamil people, "Minister Rajapaksa asked.

He said a great responsibility was cast on the TNA too to find a solution to the National Question and it should desist from killing time making meaningless demands.

Japanese Special Envloy Yasushi Akashi said Sri Lanka had implemented the post war re-settlement programme in an efficient manner. Although Japan too assist these programmes in various ways the main factor which contributed to their success was the country's efficient leadership.

The Japanese Special Envoy said the development process in Sri Lanka stood at a very high level and added that all political parties could engage in a meaningful dialogue through the means of a PSC. He said the President in particular had given priority towards the rehabilitation of the North and East. Most of these programmes had been completed now and the time had come for all sectors of the people to join hands and find a solution acceptable to all.

Japanese ambassador Nobuhito Hobo, Sri Lanka's ambassador in Japan Admiral Vasantha Karannagoda, Economic Development Ministry's Director General Prof Sunanda Maddumabandara, Secretary, Presidential Special Task Force S B Divaratne and Economic Development Ministry's Director General (Foreign Affairs) Saroja Sirisena were also present.