|
|
 |
| Sunday, 24 March 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Social
scientists urge UNF-PA co-operation
The Social Scientists Association has called on the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the People's Alliance and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to co-operate with the Government to make the current peace process a success. The SSA, in a media statement, has also urged the Government to ensure transparency in all stages of negotiation and in reaching agreements. The SSA statement adds: "We welcome the Agreement signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. "In this process of de-escalation, it is important that all parties to the conflict respect human rights and democratic values. We specifically urge the government to ensure transparency in all stages of negotiation and reaching agreements. "The opposition to the Government-LTTE Agreement presently expressed by the People's Alliance and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna is unhelpful to the peace process. We believe that mere opposition is an inappropriate response to the present government's peace initiative which is essentially continuation of the peace process set in motion by the previous People's Alliance administration under President Chandrika Kumaratunga herself. "The management and resolution of Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict requires co-operation and consensus between the Government and the Opposition. At the minimum level, bipartisan co-operation between the UNP and the PA, the two main political formations in Sinhalese society, is a must for any meaningful peace process with the LTTE. "Therefore, we appeal to the leaders of the Government and the Opposition to jointly utilize the opportunities for peace available at present. "The task of the Opposition and particularly of the People's Alliance and President Chandrika Kumaratunga in relation to the present peace process should be constructive political engagement. "Engaging the Opposition in a constructive co-operation for peace is largely the responsibility of the ruling party. We therefore urge Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to create a mechanism as well as a process to ensure the co-operation of the Opposition, specifically of the PA leadership in the conflict settlement exercise he has initiated. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
