The LSSP proposal

The statement made by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party General Secretary, Mr. Batty Weerakoon, titled 'South's responsibility for killings in the North' merits serious study. The oldest political party in Sri Lanka and a constituent party of the People's Alliance is pointing out that a critical point has been reached in the government's peace process and unless there is a renewed commitment by the PA government to the political solution it has advanced, the peace process will be wrecked.

There will be divergent views expressed by different political parties on the LSSP statement, but basically it resonates the argument forwarded by political analysts as well as commentators that consensus should be reached between the two main political parties in the South for any political solution to be possible.

The LSSP argues that political forces in the South, apart from offering their condolences to the recent spate of killings of Tamil politicians in Jaffna such as Mayors Sarojini Yogeswaran and Sivapalan, have made no attempt to understand the underlying meaning of these new killings done by the fascist LTTE, in complete disregard to public opinion.

The people of Jaffna who had left their homes in the face of advancing Riviresa troops had returned to their localities after the LTTE were dislodged from its strongholds, the LSSP says, and contends that this was done in the face of stiff opposition from the LTTE. The TULF despite its initial hesitation and mistrust contested the local government elections to help re-establish local government administration in the North in the teeth of LTTE opposition, the LSSP says

The LTTE was unable to carry out its killings earlier because the people stood with the democratic forces. But with growing disenchantment of the people and the feeling of being betrayed, the LTTE was able to kill with political impunity, says the LSSP. The people of the North are justified in concluding that they remain exposed to these killings because political parties in the South have betrayed the trust and confidence they placed in a political solution projected by the PA government, it is contended

The PA can convincingly demonstrate its commitment to a political solution by presenting to Parliament its draft constitutional amendment (Devolution Package), and there is no reason why PA-UNP consensus cannot be reached on it through the adoption of UNP's amendments to the draft constitution, the LSSP statement concludes.

The UNP has presented two sets of draft proposals but they have yet to comment directly on some of the substantive proposals made in the Devolution Package. The basic proposal on which other proposals of the Devolution Package rests is in the shift from a unitary state to a union of regions. While the UNP sticks by the 13th Amendment – for which they were responsible when in power – on devolving power to the provinces, it is by no means clear whether they are in support of the proposed union of regions.

When the proposals in the Devolution Package and the UNP proposals are considered, they appear to be running on two different tracks occasionally merging and diverging at other places. The stands taken by the two political parties on the other basic issue of the unit of devolution and the proposed referenda for the people to decide on the merger or demerger of the Northern and Eastern provinces too are not very definitive.

Given the political vituperation that is going on between the two sides, political consensus appears to be elusive even though the LSSP, a constituent party of the PA coalition, calls for it.

The other issue to consider is whether the LTTE did or does care for the opinion of the Tamil people as claimed by the LTTE. Is the assumption that the LTTE did not carry out political assassinations after the return of the people of Jaffna to their homes when Operation Riviresa was completed correct? Or is it that the Tigers were simply biding their time? The LSSP contention that the faith, hope and trust placed by the Tamil people for a political solution projected by the PA have been dissipated and it should be renewed is correct but whether it could be done by incorporating the Devolution Package and the UNP proposals is much in doubt and needs deeper examination.

It is also essential to consider other political realities. There is a very strong opposition in the South to the Devolution Package. And the LTTE had rejected it in its totality.

Nonetheless, the LSSP proposal calls for a response from the UNP, constituent parties of the PA, mainly the SLFP as well as the TULF and other political parties in the North.