President Ranil Wickremesinghe says it is necessary to build confidence among all communities, chiefly the Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim communities to achieve reconciliation.
Speaking in Parliament today, the President said he stands by his goal of creating a united Sri Lanka by the nation’s 75th Independence Day anniversary which will be celebrated in February next year.
“There is nothing new to talk about the past ethnic conflicts. What we have to do now is to consider what is relevant and the next steps to be taken to create reconciliation. And I am sure we can do this by the 75th Independence Day celebrations next year,” he said.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that if the goal is not achieved by then, then such an envisioned Sri Lanka will not even be available by 2048.
Stating that confidence has to be built among the various communities in the nation, he also revealed that as discussed at the Constitutional Council those against whom there isn’t any evidence will be released in due time.
The President further invited all political parties in Parliament to join a meeting in the week following the Budget, to discuss a lasting solution for the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these comments in response to concerns raised by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP MA Sumanthiran in Parliament today.
MP Sumanthiran said several lands in the North are continuing to be acquired by Government entities, especially the Departments of Land Reclamation, Wildlife, and Forest Conservation.
Stating at a time when the lands of the people are being taken over by state entities, the MP questioned how the government expects the people to be secure and believe they belong to the nation.
While welcoming the President’s initiative on reconciliation, MP Sumanthiran said these crucial matters require to be resolved for such government efforts to be successful and for the President’s goal of one nation to become a reality. (NewsWire)
