International   

Come up with ideas: Rajapaksa

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: From the platform to celebrate the “liberation of the eastern province from the clutches of the LTTE”, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday appealed to all parties to come forward with proposals for a political solution to the “North East crisis” without further delay.

At a function christened “Neganahira Navodaya” (New Dawn in the East), organised at the Independence Square here, Mr. Rajapaksa said the ouster of the Tigers by the security forces would be “etched in gold in the annals of our history”. The high pitched event coincided with the coming together of United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and rebel Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader Mangala Samaraweera under the banner of “National Congress” to work on a common programme. The President, however, qualified his characterisation of the capture of east with the observation, “I do not wish to describe the defeat inflicted on the LTTE as a purely military victory. There is in this victory something more, which is of larger national and international significance.”

He chose the occasion to reiterate the determination of his Government to hold, to begin with elections to the local bodies in the east and usher in economic and social development.

Referring to criticism in various quarters on the strategy of his regime in the east Mr. Rajapaksa said, “It is said this was the majority race trampling on the minority race. Majority – minority? I do not like this interpretation. We are the Sri Lankan nation. It is the Tamil and Muslim people and the clergy in the East that paved the way for the National Flag to be hoisted at Thoppigala”.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Russia expels four U.K. diplomats
Explosion triggers panic in New York
Scotch the reference, says Chaudhary’s lawyer
Come up with ideas: Rajapaksa
Iraq-Turkey tensions high
Turkey rebuffs U.S. pressure
Six-party talks extended by a day
No delay for Braille version of Potter book
Woman gets life term
Howard promises proper trial

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu