Envoys free to witness country’s development

by P. Krishnaswamy

The Government maintains cordial relations with the US and other Western countries and welcomes visits of any of their envoys or representatives as observers of the development under way, but would not heed to pressure from any of them on what and how soon the Government should act on any of those issues, Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the Sunday Observer.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told international fora that everything is being done, to put things back in order. It is absurd for any of the visiting representatives to tell us, without knowing the actual ground situation, what we should do and how soon, Minister Rambukwella said.

The President has appointed a Special Task Force headed by his Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to implement the LLRC recommendations.

Almost 50 percent of the recommendations are being implemented although the Government does not give publicity to them.

Democracy has been restored in the Northern Province and all Local Government bodies are functioning with their elected representatives. Provincial Council polls will be held next year after completing the resettlement of all displaced families and the enumeration of their names in the voters’ list.

This process is now continuing.

The Government has made repeated requests to the TNA leaders to appoint their delegates to the PSC soon so that it could begin deliberations on working out a solution to the Tamils’ grievances, Minister Rambukwella said.

The Government has to carefully consider political, economic and social aspects and the ground situation in the national interest while implementing programs to restore democracy, economic stability and livelihood of the people and therefore, cannot and will not cow down to pressure from any quarters, the Minister said.