Political parties echo in one voice:

TNA’s decision will lead to national consensus

by P. Krishnaswamy and Manjula FERNANDO

Political parties including the opposition UNP, constituent parties of the UPFA and North-East Tamil political parties, have welcomed the recent decision of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), led by R. Sampanthan to work in coordination with the Government on issues relating to the post-conflict resettlement and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and also on resolving the Tamil issue that was the cause for three decades of conflict.

The historically significant decision of the TNA that marks a milestone in communal amity and national unity has also been hailed by the Catholic Bishop of Mannar, the Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph who since the inception of the LTTE conflict had provided shelter to a large number of war-affected and displaced civilians at the Madhu Church and its environs. Bishop Rayappu Joseph said that he had repeatedly stressed the need to give up certain ideas and take recourse to the process of negotiations to resolve the national problem.

He said that the international community, NGOs and INGOs should now be allowed to join the post-conflict resettlement and rehabilitation process.

Leader of the LSSP, veteran leftist and Minister of Technology and Research Tissa Vitharana commended “this type of readiness to constructively support the Government’s effort to assist the Tamils who have been displaced and suffered immensely in the battle”.

He said that the people whom the TNA represents will benefit from their changed attitude which will invariably help to seek assistance from the international community and other international agencies for the post-conflict rehabilitation process.

SLFP stalwart and Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the TNA which always found fault with the Government’s genuine initiatives has now changed its stance and decided to actively participate in the post-conflict reconstruction process which is a welcome move. This is a realistic approach that will benefit the people of the North and the East, he said.

The veteran Leftist leader and parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that the TNA “will now come around and trust our initiatives”.

Veteran Tamil politician and leader of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Tharmalingam Sitharthan who entered the democratic mainstream said that he welcomes the decision of the TNA although belated.

Had the TNA heeded the request of many Tamil leaders and adopted a similar approach years ago, the vast destruction of lives, properties and the untold sufferings of innocent people could have been prevented.

General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) M.T. Hassan Ali said that his party too would adopt a similar approach when it comes to the question of resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced Muslims.

Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) V. Anandasangaree and Deputy Leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Murugesu Chandrakumar MP said that they welcome the TNA’s decision although belated.