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| Friday, 9 July 2004 |
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Govt. and opposition must unite by Asela Kuruluwansa and Indika Polkotuwa The Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter told Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday that the government and the Opposition should set aside all political differences and arrive at a common understanding to resolve the national question that had bedeviled the country for over two decades. A solution for the national problem could never be found if the two main political parties engaged in an eternal tug-of-war divided into two opposing camps. The Mahanayake Thera expressed these sentiments when the Opposition Leader called on him at the Malwatte Viharaya in Kandy and paid homage and received his blessings. As to who should take leadership in seeking a solution to the national problem should not be an issue. The essential thing was for all parties to join hands and support the peace effort, the Mahanayake Thera said. Most Ven. Sumangala Mahanayake Thera said all parties and groups should act in a manner that would ensure mutual support for this effort for a country should exist in the first place for anyone to rule. The Mahanayake Thera said the mere solution to a problem would not bring 100 per cent benefits to a single party. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe replying to the sentiments expressed by the Mahanayake Thera said "During our period of rule we signed a ceasefire agreement and started negotiations for peace. Our sincere wish and desire is to see lasting peace being established in the country. The government will receive opposition support to carry forward the peace process. What is essential is to re-start the peace talks which has stalled for over one year". Mr. Wickremesinghe said an agreement should be reached after resolving the problem relating to the ISGA proposals. The opposition was willing to lend its unstinted support to the government to carry forward the peace process on the basis of such an agreement reached on the ISGA proposals. Mr. Wickremesinghe said "a framework should be built to carry forward the peace process and politicians should take an interest to find a solution by proceeding on this path. We have already built the initial framework necessary to find a solution to this problem. There would be less issues on the way forward if this framework is being followed". Mr. Wickremesinghe said "Today we have kept ourself a bit aloof from this issue without causing obstructions to the government effort. We will give the necessary support to the effort when the initial issue is resolved." The opposition leader who charged that the Government was always making false allegations against the UNP said that the government had made use of the recent Kollupitiya bomb incident too to sling mud at his party. In this situation co-operating with the government would be a problem. "How can we support the government if they are always attacking us", asked Mr. Wickremesinghe. The Opposition Leader said throughout history political parties in this country had engaged in partisan politics without trying to subscribe to a set of policies beneficial for the country. He said in India which experienced this situation over 50 years ago all political parties have reached a common understanding to work for the benefit and welfare of the country. Earlier the Mahanayake Thera requested Mr. Wickremesinghe to lend his party's support towards preventing unethical conversion of Buddhists to other religions. The prelate said legislation alone was insufficient to prevent such conversions unless a program was launched through Buddhist temples to uplift the living conditions of the poor. The Mahanayake Thera said anyone had the right to change his or her religion through conviction. But conversions made by taking undue advantage of a persons poverty could never be condoned. The Mahanayake Thera said he hoped to draw up a special program to cater to the welfare of children fallen destitute on account of the war in the North and East and he expected the support and co-operation of the government and the opposition towards this program. The Opposition Leader was accompanied by UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickreme, UNP Deputy General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, MP, Kandy's Mayor Kesara Senanayake and Prof. Anuradha Seneviratne. |
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