SRI LANKA: First, let there be peace talks
between the President and the Prime Minister: Update
54.
by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan
It now transpires that the President did not issue any
notification on emergency in Sri Lanka. It cannot be believed that
the President’s office waited for two days to issue the
clarification when the whole media, national and international had
not only reported but adversely commented on the action of the
President.
We have said it before that President’s action in sacking the
three top ministers of Wickremasinghe government at a time when
the Prime minister was away and at a critical time when the LTTE
had forwarded specific proposals for an interim administration for
the North East was wrong.
Notwithstanding assurances that the cease fire agreement is in
place from the foreign policy adviser of the President, there is
no doubt that the cease fire process itself is in jeopardy.
To make matters worse, the President two days ago is reported to
have described the truce agreement signed as "illegal."
The prime minister and his cabinet have already announced that
with the sacking of the three ministers, they are in no position
to continue the peace talks and that the President may continue
the talks. Both the President and her party had in the past
taken an adverse entrenched position both with regard to the cease
fire agreement and the ongoing peace talks. The assurance
given by the President’s adviser would therefore carry no weight
with the LTTE.
The President in the meanwhile has called for a
"government of national unity" and had invited the Prime
minister and his senior members of the party to meet soon to
discuss on this issue. Prime Minister Wickremasinghe’s
response is not yet known.
It looks from the developments that President Chandrika
Kumaratunge has realised the folly of her actions. Her
action in declaring the emergency would not have received
statutory endorsement by the Parliament as and when it meets.
The problem for Chandrika is one of numbers. The ecstatic
reception Wickremasinghe received on 7th on his return
from USA, 130 MPs of the ruling party strongly showing support to
the Prime minister must have shown that barring JVP ( which also
would be at a price) other parties are not likely to support her.
A Parliamentary coup by horse trading would not have worked
either!
There is no doubt that the peace process has had a set back.
International opinion has also turned round to advising both
parties to cooperate and continue the peace process. The
Japanese who are the biggest donors and who have pledged more than
anyone else have shown their concern in their meetings with the
President. What is at stake is also the 4.5 billion dollar
aid which is contingent upon progress in peace talks.
It is to the credit of Prime Minster Wickremasinghe that he has
reacted in a very sober and responsible manner. The best he
could do is to seek fresh polls and seek the mandate of the people
to continue the peace talks. But then it is only the
President who can dissolve the Parliament and order fresh
elections.
The LTTE’s response so far has been rather of "wait and
see." Karuna, the emerging top leader of the LTTE from the
east said "We are strong; we will be patient . . . We will
achieve our aims if we remain united." On their
proposal for the interim administration, Karuna admitted that it
went beyond the limits of federal system but then justified by
saying that the problem cannot be solved within the parameters of
the 1978 constitution.
India must be watching the developments in Sri Lanka with
anxiety and concern. The peace process will have to move
forward. The three points rightly stressed by the Indian PM to
President of Sri Lanka were, avoid a constitutional crisis, have
an internal dialogue and continue the peace process. But it needs
accommodation from both sides. As said in the beginning, let
there be peace talks between the President and the Prime minister
first before the Sri Lankan government resumes peace talks with
the LTTE.
The surprise is that the Norwegians have not lost their hope.
Vidar Helgesen, the deputy Foreign Minister and Erik Solheim, the
special peace envoy are back in Sri Lanka and are trying to find a
way to continue the peace process.
