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| Friday, 6 August 2004 |
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| Resignation from UPFA leadership: President’s highest priority peace, prosperity and development by Manjula Fernando and Nadira Gunatilleke The Government yesterday rejected speculation that an internal dispute between the SLFP and the JVP triggered the President's decision to step down from the UPFA Executive Committee chair on Wednesday. Cabinet spokesman and Minister Mangala Samaraweera told yesterday's Cabinet briefing that the President's decision was intended to free herself from the political activities of the Alliance so that she can fully involve herself in the peace process and offer her leadership to the government's mega development drive in progress. "We received a mandate from the people to develop the country and carry the peace process forward. The President hopes to focus upon these two areas in the future," Samaraweera said. He said her action would also allow her to be more flexible with the peace process and give her more time to focus upon matters of national interest. In response to a question whether her action proves that the stand taken by her and the JVP with regard to the peace process are in contrast and that she wants to distance herself from the JVP, the minister said that it was an absolutely incorrect statement. "The three of the JVP front rankers, Somawansa Amarasinghe, Wimal Weerawansa and Tylvin Silva are not even members of the UPFA executive committee," the Cabinet spokesman said. "As the longest serving leader in South Asia and second longest in South East Asia after Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, she hopes to concentrate more on Governmental matters in future while encouraging the next generation SLFPers to take their stand. He said the next leader of the Alliance will be decided by the SLFP Executive Committee shortly. Agriculture and Livestock Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked if they agree to resume peace talks based on the ISGA, said his party was of the view that the ethnic conflict should be settled through a process of negotiations. "There should be an administrative structure for the North and East, during the transition period from the current situation to a final settlement. "But our stand is that the Interim Authority must be part of the final solution," he added. He said there were no differences of opinion between the SLFP and the JVP with regard to this matter adding that they believe the solutions to issues must evolve with time. Minister Samaraweera said that the Government was also in the process of formulating a set of its own proposals for discussion which included development, humanitarian assistance, etc. These proposals are a combination of the 1995, 97 and 2000 recommendations in addition to a fresh set of proposals. |
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