Tags:
Journalism of Courage
COLOMBO, Feb 28: Sri Lanka’s main national issue, the resolution of the prolonged ethnic conflict, has been pushed to the sidelines as the country’s two main political groupings grapple with issues that are of more immediate importance to their survival.
Last week, President Chandrika Kumaratunga and leader of the opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe held a rare meeting to work out modalities for the proper conduct of local government elections scheduled for April 1.
"If Ranil and Chandrika can come together for something as minor as provincial council elections, why can’t they do the same for the most important national problem?" asked Dharmalingam Sidharthan, member of Parliament representing PLOTE.
The two leadersmet after allegations were levelled against members of the ruling People’s Alliance(PA) for malpractices in a local government election held in January in the north-western province of Wayamba.
The animosity generated between the PA and the UNP during that election sealed chances of any co-operation between the two on the ethnic issue. Hopes that the newfound bonhomie may extend to the problem of Lanka’s north-east were was short-lived. Wickremsinghe made it clear that it was limited only to finding ways for "a free and fair" election in April.The UNP has offered to ensure the mandatory two-thirds vote in Parliament for a new election law, but Tamils would like more to see the party extend the same support to the government proposals for devolution of power to the north-east.
But even the government is reported to have dropped plans to table in parliament legislation to enact the devolution package. The legislation is said to be "ready and waiting" but the government believes now is no longer theappropriate time for raking up a controversial subject. A big weekend rally held calling for an end to the ethnic war and for the resumption of peace negotiations has failed to bring the ethnic issue back onto the centre-stage. While PA is preoccupied with minimising the damage to themselves after the Wayamba election, UNP is refusing to let the issue of the "threat to democracy" die down.
That much was clear in Parliament last week when a Tamil parliamentarian tried to move a motion commending the initiative of a group of academics and religious dignitaries who recently met LTTE representative to explore the possibility for negotiations.
There were no members from either the PA or the UNP during the motion and the debate had to be postponed. "It shows the scant regard for solving the main national issue," said Joseph Pararajasingham, TULF parliamentarian.
