Why listen to spineless pseudo leaders, a failed peace negotiator, a dentists, a jail bird, and an empty wind bag of the UNP or the Shylocks of JVP ?

The government is, perhaps better off without them to find a solution to the ethnic problem.

By Charles Perera

Dentists, Jailbirds and empty windpipes are making ugly noises since the President asked the UNP to join the government to find a solution for the on going fighting against the LTTE terrorists. One begins to really wonder what good it will make getting UNP to join the government to form a National Front. The President, no doubt wants to reach a consensus of the southern political parties for a common solution . It is not so difficult a project for the UNP to make such a hullabaloo, writing letters asking first for the solution proposed by the President, and when asked to name a delegation, writing again to the President asking him to give the names of his delegation etc.

I think it is better for the SLFP to go it alone, with who ever is willing to follow them, to find a workable solution. The JVP too seems to be asking for their pound of flesh with absurd demands, asking the President to, (i) do away with the CFA, (ii) chase the Norwegians, (iii) reduce the cabinet to 30 Ministers, and (iv) de-merge North and East.

The Government and the LTTE accept that the CFA is in tatters, but yet they assume its existence, and continue to fight . Under the circumstances why not leave the tattered CFA as it is. At no time had the CFA prevented the LTTE from killing who ever they wanted. At least now the Army could take retaliatory action each time the LTTE attacks the Army, despite the tattered CFA. Therefore why does the JVP wants to make a fuss about it ?

At the moment the SLMM is almost non-existent. The Norwegians cannot do any more damage than what they have already done. Therefore, whether or not they are there does not make a great difference. The Government can go ahead with the flushing out of LTTE terrorists from their hideouts, without their permission.

Reducing the cabinet members to 30 is the Presidents business, which the JVP may discuss at a cabinet meeting when they have joined the government, without making an issue of it just now. Then the last of their four points the de-merger of North and East, is an important issue, but that should be decided at a later date once the fight against the terrorism is over.

Taking all that is said into account, there seems to be no reason for the JVP to refrain from joining the government and give the President the assurance that friends he can count upon are with him. Otherwise, what the JVP doing is trying to stab the President on his back. Come to think of it there seems to be no difference between the JVP and the UNP both parties make it difficult for the President to do a job well