The Hindu : Evolving bipartisan approach

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2003

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Evolving bipartisan approach

THE SRI LANKAN President, Chandrika Kumaratunga's offer of a Joint Peace Council (JPC) and the creation of the post of "Minister assisting Defence" mark yet another step in the evolving consensual approach to the peace process in the island. Ms. Kumaratunga's proposals come in the wake of a studied approach to end the political and constitutional logjam that followed her sudden moves to prorogue Parliament and take over three key portfolios — Defence, Finance and Media. Coming on the heels of a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President's latest offer has to be viewed against the backdrop of a constitutional crisis averted and a peace process deadlocked. President Kumaratunga's phased moves to get the Prime Minister, his Government and Parliament to function normally and carry forward the peace process should be welcomed. The Prime Minister should, shedding all narrow considerations, decide on a course of cooperation. If the President has chosen to keep the Defence portfolio herself and suggest a JPC to formulate an overall framework for the peace process, this is in legitimate exercise of her executive powers under the Constitution. It also reflects the Opposition's perception that the Government has yielded too much ground to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and been less than vigilant about security in strategic places, including Trincomallee.

A strikingly constructive feature of the President's plan is the proposal that the "Prime Minister will be in charge of the peace negotiations [and] would, from time to time and when requested by the JPC, keep it informed of the progress and take guidance [from it] on matters of policy." This will be a return to good practice, when the Prime Minister initiated the talks with the LTTE and kept the President informed of the progress. If the initial approach to political cohabitation between a constitutionally all-powerful Executive President and a democratically elected Prime Minister belonging to another political party had continued, the recent political crisis could have been averted. Ms. Kumaratunga must be complimented for showing a sensitivity rare in such cases; she knows that Mr. Wickremesinghe retains his majority in Parliament and the people want the peace process to succeed. She must ensure the implementation of whatever practical arrangement is put in place through a bipartisan consensus. The choice of the "Minister assisting in Defence" should not be allowed to remain a hurdle considering that the Sri Lankan Supreme Court has clearly ruled that the President has absolute executive powers over Defence.

Finally, Ms. Kumaratunga's constructive proposals must be seen in the context of the LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran's "Heroes' Day" speech, in which he has warned that the Tamil Tigers would have "no alternative but to secede if the Sinhala chauvinistic ruling elites continue to oppose reconciliation." If the current developments lead to a consensual approach to the peace process, that could effectively thwart the LTTE's efforts to drive a wedge between the President and the main Opposition party on the one hand and the Prime Minister and the ruling party on the other. With an enlarging list of foreign statesmen visiting rebel-held Killinochchi and calling on Mr. Prabhakaran — the European Union's External Affairs Commissioner, Chris Patten, being the latest — there will be pressure on the LTTE to adhere to the ceasefire and get back to the talks. The international community continues to back the peace process and views the standoff between the President and the Prime Minister as a setback that can be overcome. A course correction for cohabitation and the peace process will be decidedly in the interests of the Sri Lankan people. In this process, India has its own part to play as Sri Lanka's friend and closest neighbour.

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