Government assures political solution for Tamils

The Government has assured that a ?political solution for Tamils will be implemented through proposed constitutional reforms.

Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that the Government will hold talks with the Tamil political parties to reach a political solution for the North and East issue.

He said that once the political solution is agreed upon it will be included in the?constitutional reforms which will be presented to Parliament for approval.

“We will seek a 2/3 majority from Parliament for this,” he said.

The Minister noted that the reason the United National Party (UNP) decided to work with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in a National Government was to address key National issues.

He said that without the majority support of Parliament it is difficult for a Government to provide solutions for matters which are of National importance.

The Minister also noted that to face international pressure on the war crimes issue, both main political parties need to work together.

“If the main two political parties are together then we can tell the UN the two main parties and the public have one stand on the issue. We can tell them to listen to what we want to say as well,” he said.

The Minister said that the new Government wants to set a policy where in future there is no change in the National issue even if there is a new Government.

He recalled that in the past when one Government looks to resolve the National issue, the Government which follows has other ideas.

“Then some claim that the country is going to be divided. This is what happened for 30 years. This actually?happened after independence. That is why this war continued,” he said.

He said that over the next two years the UNP and SLFP will work together and at the end of the two years they will decide if to continue or go their spate ways. (Colombo Gazette)