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Rajapakse planning multi-party approach to peace in Lanka

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Nov 27, IRNA
Lanka-President-Peace
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is planning a multi party peace approach and an all party consultative process to reach a broad consensus in the South, on devolution of power.

According to the Sunday Observer, the Colombo-based English daily, Rajapakse is to deliver an open invitation to the main opposition UNP to participate in the peace process. Muslim representation in the peace process will be guaranteed.

President Rajapakse in his policy statement delivered in Parliament described his peace strategy as open and transparent. He hopes to reach a broad consensus within a definite time frame.

"My government will give the highest priority to launch a new peace process to usher in a lasting peace through a political solution to the country's National Question. My government is ready to have direct talks with the LTTE," the president said outlining his policy on the peace process.

Rajapakse, earlier in his election manifesto, Mahinda Chinthana pledged to consult political parties, religious and civil society organizations to reach the broadest possible Southern consensus on the peace process within three months, before he talks to the Tigers.

During the campaign for presidency, he even offered to meet Liberation for Tamil Tigers for Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The president noted that, 'the current Ceasefire Agreement will be revised to ensure the protection of human rights, prevent recruitment of children for war, safeguard national security, prevent terrorist acts, pave the way to rebuild lives that were shattered by the war and the tsunami in the northern and eastern provinces and open and transparent ceasefire monitoring machinery'.

Sri Lankan president has not spelt out as to whether the facilitatory role of the Norwegians would continue. But he has said facilitation and mediation extended by the United Nations, all friendly countries, international community, India and other regional countries would be organized and utilized to strengthen the peace process.

A Norwegian Embassy spokesman earlier said in Colombo that Oslo would continue to play its role as the peace facilitator, if the Rajapakse Administration requests its continuance.

The ethnic war has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972.

The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a former coalition partner leader Somawansa Amerasinghe, however told a press conference last week that the JVP position against the Norwegian facilitation remained unchanged.

President Rajapakse said the controversial Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) would be replaced with a new Tsunami Reconstruction Administrative Infrastructure which would be linked to Jaya Lanka, the government's overall tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation program.

He also said a Constituent Assembly would be set up if constitutional reforms are needed for a political solution.

He noted that many areas where constitutional reforms are needed had been identified, adding that, "Changing the Constitution to secure the required balance between stability and representing public opinion is among the most important."
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