Tamil parties should participate in PSC - Douglas Devananda
Minister Douglas Devananda yesterday underlined the need for leaders
from the Tamil community to participate in a key Parliamentary panel to
seek a solution to their political aspirations.
Insisting that Tamil opposition parties in Sri Lanka nominate their
members to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) set by Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP)
founder and minister Devananda has said they should come forward for a
"possible solution."
"Even today I am not interested in competitive politics.
If TNA (Tamil National Alliance) takes a right and possible stand, I
am ready to abandon competitive politics," the minister said to a query
from a group of visiting journalists from Chennai on whether he was
taking steps to reduce troops in the area.
Earlier, Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had said, "It is the duty of
all parties in the country to solve problems according to people's
wishes by participating in this Parliamentary Select Committee rather
than relying on imported solutions and utilising foreign influences".
Calling the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord a "golden opportunity," Devananda
said only two organisations were able to lay their hands on them. "One
was LTTE and the other EPRLF. Tigers threw it away for their personal
gain. EPRLF abused the accord."
Listing the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, talks with former Presidents
Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
as "wonderful opportunities," he said: "Even talks with present
President Rajapaksa too happened.
But nothing materialised, as Tamil Opposition did not make use of the
situation."
He said more troops will be withdrawn from the North as conditions
improve. "We have successfully taken the military presence off in most
of the areas in the Northern Province. Only two in tenth of the areas
are still under military control."
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