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| Sunday, 4 January 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Politicians' New Year call to President and PM: Shed political differences, resume peace process by Deepal Warnakulasuriya and P. Krishnaswamy Leaders of various political parties and several politicians have urged President Chandrika Bandranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to begin 2004 by shedding aside political differences and resuming the peace process in the interest of the country. Expressing their views on the expectations they have for the New Year politicians warn that the country cannot afford another upheaval. Here are some of the views expressed to the Sunday Observer by the politicians. * United National Party, General Secretary, Malik Samarawickreme The Government has introduced a number of ways to go forward towards a better economic situation in the country. "Regaining Sri Lanka" and several other large scale projects will benefit the general public and the situation made by that will create opportunities to lead the country for peace and prosperity. * Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse
* Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa
* Sihala Urumaya Leader, Thilak Karunaratne Everything depends on the political situation of the country. The power struggle among parties should be stopped. The two major parties don't seem to be interested in solving the problem and patriotic people will be coming forward to pull the country out of this political quagmire. We, the SU will be educating the masses on the issue as we understand that prosperity cannot be brought to the country without finding a permanent solution to the problem. * Lanka Sama Samaja Party Leader Batty Weerakoon The re-commencement of the peace process is the most important thing in the new year. Negotiations between the Sri Lankan State and the LTTE Leadership should begin and other concerned parties should also be joined in the talks. Therefore, the LSSP urges the concerned parties to conduct the peace process and go ahead with the MoU. The LSSP also urges the President not to allow anyone to drag the present political turmoil further. The Prime Minister should also assist the President as she had agreed to grant some powers to handle the peace process. * New Leftist Front Leader Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne The year will be a year of elections. However, the most important thing that should be done by the public is pressurise the President and the Prime Minister to proceed with the peace process. The government should also be pressurised at the same time to bring down the cost of living, re-consider the proposed water tax, increase the fertilizer subsidy and pay attention on several other issues affecting the welfare of the nation. * Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Administrative Secretary and MP for Jaffna N. Ravi Raj: "We will aspire for a peaceful and lasting solution to the ethnic problem so that the Tamil people would live in dignity as equal citizens, enjoying all their legitimate rights." * Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) Financial Secretary and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Muthu Siuvalingam: "The question of ownership of house and land in respect of the plantation people has remained an unresolved and ambiguous issue over the years. Statelessness in respect of a considerable section of them also remained an unsettled issue. Irrespective of opposition from whatever quarters, we want to ensure that the plantation workers' right for ownership of their houses and lands is fully recognised and laws are enacted to make it a reality. We also want to make sure that statelessness among them is ended completely and they enjoy all their democratic rights as equal citizens." * All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) President S. Vinayagamoorthy MP: "President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has taken over three vital ministry portfolios and, as a result, the peace process has reached a stalemate. Our position is that only Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has the guts and the will both to implement the MoU and negotiate with the LTTE for a political solution. To enable him to do that, the Defence portfolio should be restored to him." * Leader of the National Unity Alliance (NUA) Ms Ferial Ashraff MP:
We want to see that these are addressed rightly and remedial steps are taken." * Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) frontliner and former MP Dr. J. Wigneswaran: "We want to see the peace process back on the 'right track' which it was not during the past years. Absence war in itself is not a peace process. We would like to see in the new year that a lasting political solution, within a united Sri Lanka, is achieved through 'serious political negotiations'. Talking to the LTTE alone will not result in a political settlement but the other political parties should also be involved in the negotiatory process." * Eelam People's Revolutionary Leftist Front (EPRLF) Secretary General and former MP S.K. Suresh Premachandren: "The Tamil people and the entire country is craving for peace and communal harmony. The political confrontation between the Executive and the legislature has caused an impasse in the peace process. They should shed aside their political differences and resume the peace process in the best interests of the country. We want to work towards a political solution to ethnic problem within a united Sri Lanka." * Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union (LJEWU) General Secretary and MP for Badulla S. Velautham: "We want to introduce a special scholorship scheme for the children of the plantation workers this year. A resolution on this will be passed by the LJEWU executive committee on January 30. We want to ensure that the plantation people become owners of the houses in which they live and the plots of lands which they cultivate. The long unsettled citizenship question has now been settled. We want to make sure that the relevant laws are implemented properly." * Ceylon Workers' Alliance (CWA) leader, Uva PC member and former MP T.V. Chennan: "It was President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who originally initiated peace talks with the LTTE. We want to insist that she herself should now put the peace process back on track in order to work out a political settlement to the ethnic problem. We want to take up with the relevant authorities the question of wage increase to the estate workers through the budget, instead of under collective agreements with their employers, and the appointment of an adequate number of Tamil public servants in the plantation districts." * Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) national leader and Minister of Ports and Shipping Rauff Hakeem: " We will focus our efforts on putting the peace process back on track, with the participation of the Muslim community as an independent delegation, for achieving a durable and practical solution to the ethnic problem. We will work towards fulfilling the political and socio-economic aspirations of our people under a system of self-rule in their respective areas." * Up-Country People's Front (UPF) General Secretary and deputy leader of the Central Provincial Council, Muthiah Sivalingam:
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Peace and Prosperity among all communities and religions is the great
wish I have for the new year. At the same time, I also wish to see an end
to the burdens faced by the public, during the last two years. Forces
working to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country should be
encouraged and efforts to sell our lands and heritage to foreigners should
be defeated.
The present government is making plans to divide the country. The
patriotic people's new year wish should be to defeat that effort. The
country faced a number of challenges during the last year and this year
Sri Lankans should act with a good understanding of their responsibilities
of the moment. The country's economy had been taken over by foreign forces
and a mass scale subjugation of Sinhala culture had been taking place. The
situation should be changed in the new year.
"Our major concerns are the security of the Muslims of the
North-East, the challenges being faced over the implementation of the MoU
between the government and the LTTE and, lastly, the independent
participation of the Muslims in the peace process as a third party.
"The plantation workers are continuing to live as 'homeless and
landless' citizens. They have also remained 'ignored and discriminated
against' on wage increases provided under the budget. They are lagging
behind in the field of education. In their 200 years of history, they have
not even produced 50 medical or engineering professionals. Academics and
intellectuals among them are very few. We want to aspire to correct this
sorry state of the plantation workers in the new year."
