Parliament condoles Mandela's death

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Parliament yesterday expressed condolences on the demise of former South African President Nelson Mandela with both Government and Opposition ranks showering accolades and tributes on him.

Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said the Government, Parliament and people of Sri Lanka express their deepest sympathies on the demise of the great South African leader.

The Minister said Mandela was not only a leader, but also an outstanding statesman.

"We would never forget the yeoman service rendered by him for social justice and equity," he said.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said there were many lessons to learn from the life of the late South African leader.

He said that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa had showed the extent to which the apartheid system, enacted by South Africa's white rulers, had worked to hold its power.

He said once Mandela was elected as the President of South Africa, he did not take revenge.

He did not allow Africans to indulge in crimes and was firmly dedicated to build their own identity. That is why he would be remembered for ever, Wickremesinghe said.

TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, who spoke during the votes of the External Affairs Ministry, also expressed his condolences and said it was the ushering in of a true democracy, justice, magnanimity and the spirit of forgiveness that helped unite a fractured country under the leadership of Mandela.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa also expressed the condolences of the House.