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| Sunday, 26 September 2004 |
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Liberals call for a post-ISGA strategy The Liberal Party of Sri Lanka has urged the SLFP, JVP, UNP and the LTTE to accept federalism as a means to resolve the present ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka, states a press release issued by its Secretary General Kamal Nissanka. The release further states: "The Liberal Party of Sri Lanka is concerned about the present state affairs in the country, especially with regard to the question of peace process. "The Liberal Party believes that the SLFP, UNP and the JVP should work together in forming a post-ISGA strategy to face the LTTE challenge. If the three major parties in southern politics do not understand this reality, all these parties would be fall into a tiger mesh. The LTTE leadership is not different from the Portuguese command that had been manipulating the island's politics in the 16th century. "The SLFP's uncertainty, UNP's appeasement, JVP's short-sightedness and LTTE's cunning tactics, are all clear barriers to a genuine peace effort. The Liberal Party believes that all these parties should accept the federal formula (maximum devolution) and the concept of a United Sri Lanka (geographical integrity) in general. "The Liberal Party believes that the country has already turned into a quasi-federal system with the introduction of the provincial council system in 1987. Yet, we strongly support the idea of a second chamber as to represent the regions in the centre and to control the dominance of the majoritarianism. "In the United States of America, every State whether it is small or big and whether it has a large or a small population, are equally eligible to elect two Senators to the powerful Senate. "It is evident by the recent killings that the LTTE still maintains all its totalitarian views and LTTE killing spree may be directed not only to tamils and Muslims as at present but also to Sinhalese people in the near future. If the State cannot safeguard its people, they have no option other than to organise themselves in self-defence. The Liberal Party warns the LTTE that the application of Pol Potist policies would bring the LTTE into self-destruction. "The Liberal Party is not much happy with the handling of events by the Norwegian facilitators. Norwegians should always take into consideration the fact that ultra-nationalist or Pol Potist LTTE had been waging a war against a democratic system. Donation of radio and television transmission equipment to Burmese guerrillas by the Norwegians is reasonable because Burmese guerrillas wage war against rightist dictatorship that annulled the democratic election and kept the Burmese democratic leader in house arrest. Such assistance should have not been given to the LTTE. "It is ridiculous to give away a part of the island to the control of a Pol Potist regime that has eliminated all its Tamil political opponents unless they embrace basic democratic values and give up serial killings and intimidations. "Therefore, the Liberal Party urges the international community in solving the Tamil problem to, give the highest priority to safeguard the democratic system of Sri Lanka. "The Liberal Party believes that the ISGA plus the Tiger army and navy equals a separate state and, if such, a thing is granted the first victims of the LTTE would be the TNA members of Parliament. "The serial killings directed by the LTTE against Tamil democratic activists are a clear message of how the LTTE would act in future. "The Liberal Party urges the donor countries not to obstruct the Sri Lankan democratic system that evolved during the last five decades by helping to install a one-party fascist rule in part of Sri Lanka". |
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