President tells International Media – ‘DON’T DIVIDE’
Posted on November 18th, 2013
Chaminda Perera and Sandasen Marasinghe-Daily News
No time frame can be determined for solutions
PSC will have the final say
The President expressed this view responding to a question raised by a foreign correspondent at the concluding press conference on the outcome of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013 held at the Committee Room B of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall yesterday.
The President said the people of this country are his people and it was his responsibility to look after them and he was doing it.
He said matters related to reconciliation could not be concluded overnight.
The conflict lasted 30 years. No one can determine a time frame to find solutions, President Rajapaksa said adding that this was unfair.
President Rajapaksa said healing wounds would take time.
“We need to rebuild the minds of the people in the North. We have to slowly build up the mindset of the people not only in the North but also in the South and East. We have already initiated the process successfully.”
He said: “We congratulated the TNA for securing a two third majority in the North and that is the democracy that we have given them. We have held elections at the correct time in the North. We held local government elections and the provincial council elections. Now they have to look after their people and also the Sinhala and Muslim communities there who are in the minority in the North”.
President Rajapaksa said that he alone was not responsible for finding solutions to the issues.
He added that Parliament is vested with the power to find solutions and he is there to implement them.
He added that there are members of 17 political parties with their leaders. A Parliamentary Select Committee has been set up with the representatives of all the parties to find solutions to the issues.
“They have to find solutions,” the President said. “Thereafter my responsibility is to implement them”.
– See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/local/dont-divide#sthash.OV1BhUy2.dpuf
November 18th, 2013 at 11:31 am
While thanking our President for spelling out the process, I feel as many Sri Lankans in Lanka and abroad feel that THIS DIVISIBLE ammendment SHOULD BE DONE AWAY WITH as soon as possible. I realize we need to wait for the outome of the PSC.
NOW more than ever this ammendment MUST be removed if we ever to CUT TIES with INDIA. India imposd this unpopular amendment & now we are subsevient to India.
Our leaders must realize that ONE country can never subjugate another SOVEREIGN, FREE DEMOCRATIC country just because they are our neighbour.
Thank you all & I hope more SriLankans everywhere SHOULD NOW express their opinions, when the country is attacked by oursiders……….J
November 18th, 2013 at 12:46 pm
This division will NOT GO AWAY until Tamils are made a MINUTE MINORITY by Sinhala imposition, Sinhalisation and WEAKENING the Tamil language and culture in SL.
That is the way to CUT the pipe Tamil Nadu racism creeps in.
November 18th, 2013 at 10:53 pm
If 10% of Sinhala people marry a Tamil and convert the spouse to Sinhala ( which is unlikely – it is normally the other way around), this problem will be solved !
November 19th, 2013 at 4:25 am
Nanda,
Sinhalese won’t marry Tamil women. They are DARKER and UGLIER than Sinhala women. FACTS. No discrimination whatsoever.