Sri Lankan President will accept any political solution given by parliament

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that he will accept any decision of the parliament on the ethnic issue and a solution should not be confined to discussions with one party.


"I will accept any decision or proposal given by Parliament. That is the proper democratic approach and recognizes that fact that a final decision should come from Parliament," he said.
Addressing the editors of electronic and print media institutions in Sri Lanka at the Temple Trees this morning, the President said appointing a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to find a permanent political solution to the ethnic problem was not another tactic to delay a final solution as claimed, but a move to reach consensus of the Parliament for any decision made.

(Photo by Sudath Silva)
The President revealed that many party leaders and legislators have expressed their views that the search for a solution should not be confined to discussions with one party.
"They saw they need to give an opportunity to Parliament, comprising all parties and groups within it, to consider a solution," the President said.
The President explained the PSC, once constituted, can work out a time frame for a solution with the input from all the political parties while the government holds discussions with the Tamil National Alliance.
The move would save time since any solution reached with TNA has to be debated in the parliament.
"The final solution has to be approved by parliament in keeping with democratic practice. So it is the best place to initiate a political solution and I would accept it," Rajapaksa said.
"This was a means of strengthening Parliament too," the President added.
External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris addressing the media personnel said that far from being a delaying tactic, the PSC would in fact expedite the matter since what is considered by the Select Committee method is a parallel activity.
"The process would be concurrent and not successive. It would amount to a telescoping of two consultative processes," the Minister said.
Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara, and Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary W.B Ganegala were also present at the discussion.