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| Sunday, 19 October 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Liberals for Federalism, united Sri Lanka The Liberal Party is very much concerned about the stalemate in the peace process. It firmly believes that a negotiated solution would bring lasting peace to Sri Lanka. As the LTTE is not serious about devolution, federalism or a scheme of governance within a united Sri Lanka, the Liberal Party believes that it is the prime duty of the leaders of the UNP and the SLFP to make the ground situation towards a more democratic peace process. Liberals feel that facilitators should have launched a multi track peace process making a parallel forum for other parties to be heard. Since signing the CFA in February 2002, it is sad that the international community that has an interest in the Sri Lankan peace process has not pushed the LTTE towards a final solution. There is reasonable doubt among the average people that an interim administration without the proper link to the final solution would create de facto administration. Now we have already wasted one and half years in a sense a period that was more than enough to have arrived at a final solution or at least to have created a framework of a final solution. If the international community mishandles the process not only is the integrity of the island challenged but also the democratic system that has existed since 1931. Liberals believe that nourishment of an antidemocratic armed gang is no solution to current problem. Interim administration will be useless if it is not linked to the disarmament and democratization of the LTTE. Sri Lankan people familiar with elected and representative administrations are psychologically not ready to accept any administration for northeast without representations. Further running North East by a totalitarian group headed by a convicted criminal cannot be justified by any democratic norm. It is now very clear that the LTTE in fact wants to throw their agenda before the international community rather than to the Sri Lankan Government. Therefore we believe that the government in power (The President + The Prime Minister + The Cabinet) should act with extraordinary intelligence. In this regard LTTE forwards various theories before the world. One such theory is the doctrine of necessity that they try to use to justify an interim administration without the final arrangement. Everyone knows as the proverb says necessity knows no laws. Therefore it is clear that the so-called doctrine of necessity cannot be taken as a serious legal concept. More importantly a constitutionally and legally elected government (The President + The Prime Minister + The Cabinet) cannot bring about an alien administration by disregarding existing constitutional procedure and restraints. The LTTE may not know law but it is not an excuse for a lawfully elected government not to know the law. The Liberals do not pursue a policy of appeasement with a totalitarian group. Our main concerns are human rights, multi party democracy, representative administrations, open market economy etc. Therefore we urge the UNP and SLFP, and their leaders to unite and formulate a common strategy to meet the challenges of the extremist forces in a more democratic manner. It is also important to expose narrow views of some of the countries that display an interest in the Sri Lankan impasse. The Liberal Party reiterates that the best possible answer to the Sri Lankan problem lies in federalism. We liberals believe that a viable solution to the problem should be within a united country. Kamal Nissanka, Secretary General, The Liberal Party of Sri Lanka. |
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