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| Sunday, 21 December 2003 |
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Premier should make concessions to President - Dr. Jehan Perera by ELMO LEONARD In the current political stalemate, the Prime Minister should make concessions to the President, prominent peace lobbyist of Dr. Jehan Perera, Director, National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said. In the interest of the nation, the Premier who is on an ascending trend backed by two years of good economic performance, could accede. The President is placed on a downward trend with two more years in office, Dr Perera said, at a seminar organised by the National Peace Council and North South Journalists' Association, held in Colombo last week. The premier, in compromising, could barter with the President for other benefits for the government and the peace process. For instance, the President could be persuaded to agree to a temporary interim constitution for the North-East for a two-year duration, to proceeds with the peace process. The present deadlocked peace process could involuntarily break out into a war. In the current standstill scenario, both sides would want to arm themselves. The economic advantages to the country from a moving peace process would be immense. It would result in contented people, less concerned about battle, Dr. Perera said. The leaders of the country must think beyond their petty concerns for power and accrue the benefits of peace and development to the people of the nation, Dr Perera said. Sri Lankan society is an ethnically politically divided and polarised society, Dr Perera said. Media, which is part of society, is also divided and polarised. Politicians are also divided, but are all part of society and it is society that elects them, Dr Perera said. The Sri Lankan constitution makes its president the most powerful elected president in the world, he said. Views expressed at this seminar by an intellectual, coming from the North, who claimed that Tamil culture and civilisations in the island preceded the Sinhalese culture and civilisations, may not gain wide acceptance. Likewise, claims made by the Sinhalese nationalist Sihala Urumaya political party, may gain acceptance among only a small section of society, Dr Perera said. |
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