A vibrant Opposition, a pressing need

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Posts Minister Jeevan Kumaranatunga said that if the Opposition is sincere, it should support the move to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to find a lasting solution to the problems faced by the people in the North and the East.

The people will then accept that the Opposition is genuine in fulfilling its duty on behalf of the country with a sense of responsibility.

However, it is regreted that the present Opposition does not seem to be sincere in its efforts, the Minister told the Sunday Observer.

He said that if the Opposition had acted in the interest of the people in the North and the East and their problems it would have earned more public support.

At present there is no strong Opposition and it is in total disarray.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint a PSC for all political parties to sit together and discuss this issue.

It is the responsibility of the main Opposition UNP and all other Sinhala and Tamil political parties to nominate their representatives to the PSC.

Else whatever protests made outside will not produce any fruitful results and it will certainty delay the process.

The President and the Government have a genuine desire to provide a lasting solution to this problem. Therefore, all Tamil political parties should engage in a dialogue with the Government to reach a consensus, he said.

I think there is nothing wrong with the present Opposition if it acts with a sense of responsibility.

However it has involved itself in various internal squabbles rather than identifying its legitimate role.

The Minister said that the Opposition, should offer constructive criticism on the Government's programs.

However, the sole intention of the present Opposition is to sabotage the Government's efforts.

This has led to various factions within the Opposition itself.

Some Opposition politicians say that if the main Opposition UNP continues to act in this manner, they will be further rejected by the people.