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Decisions Involving The Joint Mechanism Need To Be Resolved By the President And The JVP
Without External Participation !

Not surprisingly the President of Sri Lanka almost in an uncanny pattern resembling the turn of events which unseated her predecessors in the previous regime is confronted with a decision which will either make or break her UPFA Government.It has to do with the proposed Joint Tsunami Mechanism involving the terror group the LTTE and supportives and it is careful decision making time for Madam President whose options relative towards the correct choice in as far as the right decision for the Nation is concerened are few and far between. Bend to the will of the Terrorists and dance to their tunes or stand firm and make her decisions in the face of all adversity towards the best interests of the Nation alongside coalition partner the JVP and the overview to the more discerning seems Hobsons Choice with only a single option pointing towards the right one which somewhat obviously suggests the latter!

While the President's options revolve around two specific choices, one being a joint mechanism proposed in conjunction with a fully armed, unrelenting terrorist group in operation despite the Peace process and ceasefire which they blatantly continue to flaunt! and the other a more moderately presented choice with the blessings of the International Community and conditional to the LTTE abiding by the requirements of International law that no armed terrorist group in their image as terrorists can be considered under any norm to be accepted as a negotiating party to any legal accord whether disaster related or not which in the end becomes academic as it contravenes every legality surrounding the manner in which the world looks at terrorism and the LTTE on very flimsy ground with no options other than to discontinue their terrorist objectives and merge into mainstream Sri Lankan society which will not tolerate any form of coercion by terrorists.

Any joint mechanism withThe LTTE while continuing to rebuild their resources, bolster air and land defence capabilities "under the watchful eye of the armed forces!" and persist brazenly with their campaign of child recruitments, would have no substantial effectivity until approved by a two third majority in parliament which needs the blessings of Governmental ally the JVP who have vehemently opposed the proposal arguing that it is a compromise of the Nation's Sovereignity and Territorial integrity and have made it known in no uncertain terms that they would disagree to the proposal which the Government can ill afford to ignore and continue towards a ratification which they will in all probabilities never accomplish while also contributing towards their own political suicide.

With the foremost consideration that they the JVP have threatened to pull out of the coalition with the ruling party in the event of the joint mechanism being presented towards ratification it is a pointer towards the futility of such an unconditional offer to the LTTE together with many attached dangers of the joint mechanism which would surely expose a very vulnerable Administrative underbelly to its enemies and leave the Nation rudderless and a Administration depleted beyond reprieve which would surely follow should the hand of the JVP be forced and then perhaps with catastrophic consequences .

To compound matters further, the continued involvement of pro-LTTE Norway and its once discarded representative Eric Solheim back in the fray has only resulted in innuendo presented by Solheim that "alls' well "with the move towards finalising the joint mechanism which seems to be the furthest from the truth considering the latest JVP response which has expressed dismay and anger rather than an acceptance of the Government's presentation of the mechanism which would incorporate the LTTE unconditionally.It is also grim irony that the Administration continues to tolerate the likes of Solheim given his past track record and the circumstances under which he exited his previous involvement in the Peace Process yethere he is again like the veritable bad penny!

There has to be a rallying point between Presidential direction and that of the JVP towards what's best for the country and how best to resolve the issue of the Joint Mechanism where there can be no bartering of the Nations security through concessions to an impure terror group hell bent on going their own way despite the odds against them. Dissent to this has been reflected in world opinion as well as the contradictions of legalities involved and pointed out by many analysts.Should the Administration capitulate to the terrorists and the dangers it could project which is all the JVP are vehemently trying to invite attention to, in the end it will be upto the resolve, grit and determination of the ruling party and its primary ally the JVP to make the appropriate decisions towards resolution without external participation and the help of catalysts which have thus far proved worthless!



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