Talks on with Tamil parties: Ranil
The Sri Lankan government has begun “informal discussions” with the Tamil National Alliance and other parties on a political solution to the ethnic conflict, according to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Though the government’s “political goals” included “a new Constitution, consolidation of human rights and the strengthening of democratic institutions”, the “most important” among them was to find “a political settlement to the outstanding issues relating to national unity, ethnicity and religion”, Mr. Wickremesinghe told Japanese Parliament members in Tokyo on Tuesday.
“The language and ethnicity issues, which dominated the country over five decades, and religious discord that were stirred up during the last decade, must be resolved if a strong Sri Lankan identity – based on equality – is to be established,” he said.
Mr. Wickremesinghe sought Japanese assistance to hold a meeting of donors to assist in the reconstruction and revitalisation of socio economy of the conflict-affected areas.
[In June 2003, Japan hosted one meeting in Tokyo on peace process].
The Prime Minister added the government was discussing with South Africa “the architecture of a new structure for truth machinery.”
This would include a Truth Commission to record the instances of violence and violations. An “innovative new mechanism,” Compassionate Council, would be set up with the leading clergy of all religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.
It would provide advice on the measures to be taken on individual cases.
“Finally, we will be devising a new judicial structure to inquire into the violation of human rights,” he added.
A joint declaration issued at the end of Mr. Wickremesinghe’s four-day-long visit, which concluded on Wednesday, attributed to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as saying that his country would continue to support development of community infrastructure including water supply and conduct of a survey to enhance facilities of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Jaffna.
In addition to the provision of educational facilities in Mannar, Japan would provide 240 million yen through the World Food Programme for the Food Assistance Programme in order to improve a scheme of meals for school children.
(The Hindu)
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What makes Ranil so anxious to rewrite the constitution considering that he represents a minority government cobbled together with miscreants. Like the existing government is he going to tinker with the existing constitution. As is the President holds absolute power and the prospect of him ever being elected is remote. The only means through which he could usurp into absolute power is to cause a mechanism through which he can get absolute power.There is a strong possibility to do this with a set of morons in his yahapalanya government
Since the Tamils are already in his government is there a need to have `informal’ discussions with tamils for if they have real issues then these issues can debated unless he wants to relegate the authority of the parliament.
As is the Parliament does not represent the people but parties. If it is a true democarcy then avenues ought to be created for ordinary people to be represented in the parliament., it is only then a real democracy can operate.
Ranils ambitions are no secret he undermined the UNP leadership for decades and it never represented the whole population but people with vested interests.
Dumping Sinhalese parties and discussing with one set.
People should get back to streets.
But unfortunately, there are no such people in SL now. So just sit and watch till the country ends.
Good boy Ranil gooood booooy. Your are on the right path. Just ignore the dogs barking on the side.
There he goes, will this lead to CFA Version 2?
We will soon be blessed with statues of the Sun God in the ‘homeland’ and the CM, NP and other bedumvaadaya specialists climbing ladders to garland the boss’statues.
This Udurawana appears to be a ex-LTTE exile living in a leafy suburb in Melbourne.
Ranil Wickremasinghe has sold our emerald isle to the redneck white skins during his previous tenure; he is continuing to do so, now.
How can he be a ‘good boy’?
Only Sambanthan and Sumanthiran love Ranil. Only a pam*aya can appoint him PM.
God bless our emerald isle.