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By E.Weerapperuma

Colombo Archbishop Rt.Rev.Dr.Oswald Gomis admonished those in power to look for a system which is unique to Sri Lanka to bring about a lasting peace and bring harmony among the communities at war.

Making reference to the move to introduce a Federal system of government to Sri Lanka as a solution to the current problem, His Lordship conceded that there was a fear in the minds of the people at the pronouncement of the very word Federal. " It may be due to the fact that there was a political party using this word : The Federal Party. For some it may look `poisonous'. It is not the word that matters. What matters is the powers allocated under this system and how they operate.

"Countries like America,India, Switzerland, Germany and even Russia had recourse to this system of government to solve their problems when they faced similar situations which Sri Lanka faces today. We can learn from their experience and adopt a federal system of government unique to the Sri Lankan situation", the Prelate said.

Archbishop Gomis who is the Head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka and the Chairman of the Asian Bishops Conference said that every country has its own federal system of government to suit the needs and times.

The system envisages the delegation of powers to the people at the periphery to run their own affairs in an independent atmosphere. It also gives them the opportunity to maintain the unitary character of the country and allows the Central Government to maintain Law and Order in the entire country while being the sole guardian of all powers. The system may help us to bring about a solution to our pressing problem, the Archbishop added.

Talking to the" Sunday Observer" from his study at Archbishop's House, Colombo the Archbishop recalled the words of the Heavenly Angles at the Birth of Christ in the Manger: " Peace to men of goodwill.

He also recalled the words of Jesus Christ: " Those who take up the sword will die by the sword", and said that as religious leaders wholeheartedly support the moves to end the conflict through negotiations. " We do not expect people to wage war to solve their problems. Our advice to the leaders of the country and " to the people of good will" is to enter into negotiations with a firm commitment to end the conflict. The Buddha also settled wars and conflicts through discussions and negotiations. We have not read anywhere that he had advised people to engage in war to solve conflicts" he said.

The Archbishop said that we should ask ourselves what benefit the war has brought to this country and the people. Has it brought peace, tranquillity, happiness to our lives ? More than the Tamils, the poor Sinhala majority has suffered the consequence of war and if any one wants to see the truth they should go to where these people live. It is the poor that suffered most as a result of war and it is the members of the those poor families who lost their loved ones because of war more than the well=to=do. It is also the marginalised people who have lost life and limb.

We cannot experience the ravages of war by being in Colombo, but go to the people who suffered the outcome of war. The war has not brought anything good and useful but has brought misery", the Archbishop said. While hailing moves to establish permanent peace in the country Archbishop Gomis pointed out that the challenge facing the nation was to turn the temporary ceasefire into permanent peace. " We should keep in mind that the present ceasefire agreement entered into by the Government and the LTTE is only a first step or the beginning of a long journey for peace and not just peace per se. Both groups were at war to find a solution. But ultimately they have realised that nothing could be achieved by war.

It is something that we should be happy about. We need not get upset when a number of unpalatable things are said at the table. But let the views flow freely. Even the trade unions go for discussions with heavy demands. But it is through discussion they come to an agreement. They compromise and solution acceptable to all will evolve. It is the duty of the people at large, people concerned of the future of this country to be patient and take no steps to sabotage the process", he said.

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