IA proposals violate Constitution and Sovereignty - SLFP

By Rohan Mathes

The SLFP, the main opposition party, has declared that the LTTE proposals clearly affect the sovereignty of the Republic of Sri Lanka and violate its Constitution. It called for the immediate commencement of talks involving all concerned parties on the core issues which need to be addressed for the resolution of the conflict.

A statement issued by the General Secretary of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena, said that President Kumaratunga is clearly of the view that the solution to the ethnic conflict lies in the devolution of power within a united Sri Lanka on the basis of a negotiated Constitutional arrangement such as the draft Constitution of 2000.

"Any final settlement must be balanced and acceptable to all communities with the pluralistic nature of the society preserved. Exclusive powers of governance cannot be vested in one single community to the detriment of other communities

It must promote unity and not encourage division. The democratic structure of our polity should extend to the entire country to be enjoyed by the people of the South and the NorthEast. There cannot be two governments".

The statement further states that throughout the proposals Sri Lanka has been referred to as "an island" as though it were merely a geographical entity consisting of a vacant space within which new contractual arrangements could be erected at will by two parties- the UNF Government and the LTTE, without any recognition of the indisputable fact that there are many other legitimate stakeholders in the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

The SLFP has made it clear over a period of time that any interim administration should be an integral part of a final settlement. In this respect the SLFP welcomes and supports the position taken by the government of India in the recent joint statement issued to the effect that the Government of India has specifically stated that any interim administration should be an integral part of the final settlement and should be within the framework of the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

While welcoming the goodwill shown by large sections of the international community, including the donors, for the resolution of the national problem, the SLFP calls upon them to remain strongly committed to the salutary principles laid down in the Tokyo declaration and not to depart from them in the name of peace at any cost.

On behalf of the Sri Lankan people, the SLFP re-iterates its total and permanent commitment to the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

"Sovereignty is in the People. It is inalienable and indivisible. It is ours. It belongs to us. It is not a tradeable commodity to be weighed in the balance of experience. The SLFP and the millions who support it, will never be a party to rob the people of Sri Lanka of their sovereignty.

The SLFP will not allow any international consortium or ‘safety net’ in the name of a spurious, unjust peace to foist on the people any extra constitutional arrangement that is not acceptable to all communities that inhabit our land.

A detailed analysis amply shows that the LTTE is getting ready for the day where it could argue that if the negotiations fail, they have no other alternative but go-in for a separate state of ‘Eelam’, " the statement says.