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| Sunday, 16 October 2005 |
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YMCA calls on UNP-SLFP to end bickering The National Council of the YMCAs of Sri Lanka (NCYSL) appeals to all candidates contesting the forthcoming Presidential Election to be fully and truly committed to hold a free and fair election and to make use of the election to address the burning needs of people in Sri Lanka today rather than focusing on their own political agendas. The statement says: "YMCA believes that it is an inalienable responsibility of the next elected President of Sri Lanka to respect the voters by adhering to the common welfare of them who have always displayed their voting enthusiasm despise continues failure on the part of the politicians to honour their promises once they come to power. "YMCA considers that it is the topmost priority of the 5th President of Sri Lanka to work towards ushering permanent peace to the country without further foot-dragging. Therefore, we urge specially the two candidates representing the country's leading political parties that is United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to keep before people a comprehensive and authentic plan on how they will continue peace efforts with the LTTE. This will allow people to dispel any doubts which could be looming in their minds with regard to choosing the candidate they like and whose strategies reflect their thinking. "The YMCA at this juncture would like to reiterate its position on the national problem that "it stands for the unity and the indivisibility of Sri Lanka. The YMCA doesn't accept separatism and accept the reality that the Tamils are a distinct ethnic entity with grievances, which need redress. "The YMCA accepts the reality that power needs to be transferred from the centre to the periphery. We are very much concerned about the state of political polarisation that the country has plunged into, in the run-up campaign to elect the Head to govern the country. "We as one of the oldest public voluntary organisations in Sri Lanka that promotes peace and reconciliation among diverse communities urge the two main political parties to build up as understanding between them on key issue in the country such as eradication of poverty, elimination of corruption and stopping misuse of power in order to stop political bickering. |
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