We will safeguard Govt., says JVP

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, SEPT. 4. The Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, has agreed to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's condition that she will not bring in constitutional changes over the next year for devolution of power to the minorities in return for the party's support to the minority People's Alliance Government.

The JVP general secretary, Mr. Tilvin Silva, said at a press conference today that his party would not oppose talks with the LTTE if the group first gave up its demand for a separate state. He said that while this was the JVP's position on peace talks, the issue had not come up in discussions between his party and the PA.

As the LTTE London representative, Mr. Anton Balasingham, had already rejected the idea of talking to this Government, the question of peace talks anyway did not arise, Mr. Silva said. But the party had been assured that there would be no move to bring in amendments to the Constitution for devolution of political power during the one-year period for which the JVP had offered its support to the Government, he added.

Asked why the JVP was against the resolution of the main problem before the country, Mr. Silva said the party's support, at great ``political risk'' to itself, was only to a ``caretaker Government'', and that the problem was so complex that it could not be resolved in one year by such a Government.

``Our main reason to support the PA is to create conditions for the next elections, because we do not believe that it is safe to hold elections in the present environment,'' he said. The Government had agreed to set up independent commissions to protect the conduct of elections, and the functioning of the police, the judiciary and the bureaucracy from political interference before September 18, while it had promised to consider a commission for the media, he added.

Though the JVP and the PA are yet to sign a memorandum of understanding to finalise their agreement, the JVP is to provide outside support to what is describes as a ``probationary Government'' for one year. This will strengthen the Government's hands against, and possibly enable it to survive, an Opposition no-confidence motion.

``We will safeguard the Government in any situation that might lead to a breakdown of the probationary Government arrangement,'' Mr. Silva said.

In return, the JVP has laid down several conditions to be met by the Government in the one-year period besides the ones on the LTTE, the resolution of the ethnic question, and the independent commissions.

Among these are the downsizing of the present jumbo Cabinet of 44 to 20, and a cut in Ministers' salaries. The budget for 2002 has to be in line with the agreement reached with the JVP. There are to be no moves to privatise state enterprises for one year.

Ms. Kumaratunga has already implemented two other demands of the JVP, namely the cancellation of a referendum for a new Constitution, and the reconvening of the prorogued Parliament ahead of its due date of September 7.

Mr. Silva said the MoU with the PA would be signed before the opening of the Parliament, now scheduled on September 6.

Business community steps in

Undeterred by the Government's alliance with the JVP and the smaller party's tough stand on the ethnic question, Sri Lanka's business community today announced the launching of a massive drive for peace talks by it from Wednesday.

Backed by a host of business houses and associations and implemented cost-free by five of the island's top advertising agencies, the ``Sri Lanka First'' campaign will start out with an advertisement blitz demanding peace talks between the LTTE and the Government.

``We are seeking to reach every single citizen trying to impress upon them the need to bring peace to this country,'' said Mr. Jagath Fernando, deputy chairman of John Keells Holdings, Sri Lanka's biggest business house.

Hardest hit by the LTTE attack on Katunayake airbase and the ripple effect of the subsequent hike in insurance rates through the economy, the business community is hoping that a mass mobilisation campaign will put pressure on the two warring sides to begin talking.

``We want the public to say they want peace in large numbers, so that the politicians cannot ignore them anymore,'' Mr. Fernando said.

The campaign is pressing for an immediate cessation of hostilities, for an end to the bombing operations by the Sri Lanka Air Force and for the easing of supplies of food and other essentials to civilians in LTTE-held areas to ``create a conducive atmosphere'' for peace talks.

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Section  : International
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