Ideal forum to find solution:

TNA’s participation in PSC vital for Tamils

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said if the TNA has a genuine interest in the plight of the Tamil community, it should participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) which is the ideal forum to find a solution to the problems of those in the North and the East.

The TNA will have to definitely come to the PSC due to international pressure, the Minister told the Sunday Observer.

He said if the JVP really loves the motherland, it should also make representations to the PSC without shouting in public places.

The Minister was, however, confident that the JVP will make representations to the PSC as it had told some newspapers that if there is a good agenda they would consider taking part in the PSC proceedings. Minister Aluthgamage said the PSC deliberations would certainly pave the way to find a solution in collaboration with all political parties represented in Parliament.

If President Mahinda Rajapaksa provided a solution, the Opposition parties would find fault with him that they had not been consulted. Hence the President set up the PSC and invited all political parties to make representations to the PSC.

He said all political parties are represented in Parliament. The decision taken by Parliament would be considered as one which had been arrived at by the country as a whole. Therefore, if any political party does not participate in the PSC deliberations, it has no moral right to attribute the blame to the Government alleging that it had failed to provide a solution to the problem.

Pressure has been exerted on all Opposition parties even at international level to participate in the PSC deliberations to find a solution to this problem, the Minister said.