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The Manifestations Of Sri Lanka's Destiny And Her Being At The Crossroads Of History Outlined By The President

Surely the path of Sri Lanka's destiny has been pellucidly pointed out , through the recent actions of her President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who has been inspired by the inconcistencies of the UNF Administration to tower above her political opposition where she has made the impassioned call to all Sri Lankans to rise up to their conciences as she has proclaimed that " Destiny beckons us to rise above narrow political and personal considerations and to engage in the search for new and creative solutions to the country's major problems. I am aware that a vast majority of Sri Lankan people, from every walk of life, are strongly of the view that for this purpose, the major political forces must join hands. At this point of time I bow my head in agreement to the people's demand. I call upon all the parties represented in Parliament to put country before self and to join me in an attempt to form a Grand Alliance - of all National and Patriotic Forces with the objective of forming a Government of National Reconstruction and Reconciliation. I stand ready to commence discussions on this proposal with the leaders of all parties represented in Parliament, with the present PM Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe and the leaders of his party". A brave initiation of what might transpire to be an historic address to the Nation which could consolidate the future of the Sinhala Nation and all Sri Lankans.

Explaining what projected the turn of events that led to the recent turbulences in the country, President Chandrika Kumaratunga , in an address to the Nation outlining some of the events which led to the removal of ministers from three portfolios of the UNF cabinet conveyed to the somewhat startled Nation that six illegal shipments of arms out of nine among many more had been brought in to the country by the Tamil Tigers and apprehended by the Sri Lanka Navy which had to be released on the instructions of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Defense Minister Thilak Marapone which has given her the undeniable right to move in the direction she has done in the best interests of Sovereign Sri Lanka.

She went on to add that the Defense Minister refuted her claims on more than one occassion, at times suggesting to her that it would be quote"advantageous to the Peace Process to turn a blind eye to the build up of arms " end quote and confirming the whimsical nature of the decision making at Ministry level had ordered the release of some of these shipments which could easily have compromised many areas of the Nation's security considering the nature and volume of the cargoes involved where the President's move should have by rights been initiated much earlier and that, as a further aberration of the conditions of the Peace Process there had been proven statistics of the LTTE's forcible recruitment of cadre where a vast number victimised were children and blatantly tolerated by the Administration despite the many observations of Humanitarian Aid Agencies and a violation of statutory human rights if put into proper perspective.

The imposing realities of the neglect by the Administration to execute its duties in a manner beneficial to the Nation has also affected its minority communities such as the Muslims in the North and North East of Sri Lanka where the Authorities appear to have been in violation of the country's laws and even the Ceasefire Agreement and permit the LTTE to attack continuously, innocent Muslim civilians, kill, abduct and demand ransom from the Muslim people living in the three districts of the East.

The President has probably rung the death knell on all undesirable activity and the unwanted participation of prejudiced mediation as she has stated specifically that while the incosistencies she has outlined continued in abandon until she moved to quell them, all the Nation heard were " glib statements by various government authorities that the problem was handed over to the Norwegian Facilitators and other Monitors. The Defence Authorities permitted the Norwegian Facilitators and their Monitors, during the ceasefire period, to suggest to the Armed Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka to agree to remove strategically crucial military camps and to recognise the LTTE's illegal naval unit, before even commencing talks with the LTTE on the de-commissioning of arms, giving up politics of terror and violence and above all, giving up the call for a Separate State, under whatever name it may be called" but popularly believed by their supportives as Eelam!.

"Bearing in mind that neither the Prime Minister nor the Defence Minister have to date stated their position on the surprising demands of the LTTE, for the removal of strategic military camps and the recognition of LTTE naval units while abdicating their responsibility to a Foreign Government (Norway)which has no authority or provision to take decisions on these matters." and for the Norwegian Peace Monitors, ominous sounding while the facts presented are a means towards justifying her decision and by no means Draconian contrary to UNF belief and support!

It must be accepted by the Sinhala Nation that the UNF government's acts of willful commission and other acts of careless omission that threatened the Territorial Integrity , Sovereignty and Security of the Nation have indeed forced the hand of President Kumaratunga who has nevertheless been considerate and magnanimous towards the Wickremasinghe Administration in inviting them to participate in a Government of National Unity and reconciliation involving All Parties as a means to restoring peace and also resolving the needs of the Tamil People together with those of all Sri Lankans which seems a more realistic means to appease all concerned than resort to a tug of war within Sri Lanka which would further disrupt its progress and hamper the day to day existences of its people.

The LTTE should take note of this development where they too should lay down arms, denounce idealogies and transform themselves into peaceful law abiding Sri Lankans within the framework of a Sovereign Democracy if any sanity is to prevail within this once resplendant land of all Sri Lankans as the President has mandated the Peace Process into the hands of the Prime Minister where expectations run high of his accomplishments this time around and she has chosen to be the sole Adminstrator of Defence and Communication which is part of her Executive Privilege and Prerogative within the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

In the words of the Nation's Astute President "Sri Lanka Has Indeed Arrived At The Crossroads Of Her History!!!!!!!!! "

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