Task Force for reconciliation mechanism

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera launched the new initiative at the District Secretariat in Jaffna on Friday.

A new initiative was launched on Friday by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the District Secretariat in Jaffna where a task force comprising of 10 public personalities to design the reconciliation mechanism, in keeping with the mandate received from the public at the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in January and August last year.

The Task Force consists of leading public personalities appointed by the Government. They are: Ms. Manouri Muttettuwegama (Chairperson), Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (Secretary), Gamini Viyangoda, Prof. Daya Somasundaram, Ms. Visaka Dharmadasa, Ms. Shantha Abhimanasingham, PC., Dr. Farzana Haniffa, Prof. Sitralega Maunaguru, Prof. Gameela Samarasinghe and Mirak Raheem.

The website for consultations (www.scrm.gov.lk), was also launched. While members of the public will have the opportunity to submit their responses to questions posed on the website in time to come, the Task Force will also carry out group discussions that will involve all stakeholders including victims, war widows, security forces personnel, families of the missing, the disabled, political personalities, and religious leaders.

Member of Parliament M.A. Sumanthiran, Governor of the Eastern Province and Advisor to the President, Austin Fernando, Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, District Secretary of Jaffna, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Security Forces Commanders in the North, members of the Task Force on Consultations, representatives from the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation and the public were also present.