Govt. must seize this opportunity to heal wounds, differences and heartaches of all citizens – UNP

(May 18, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Now that the war is won , the Government must seize this opportunity to heal wounds, differences and heartaches among all races without allowing the country to relapse into the former strife and bitterness among the races, said Kabir Hashim , UNP M.P. addressing a media meeting today ( 18May) at the UNP media unit. This war victory does not belong to any politician , political or any other group . It is the victory due to the toils and sacrifices of every individual in the country. Our Forces made supreme sacrifices on the field while our people bore patiently all the hardships and burdens imposed on them by the Govt.

He also paid a tribute to UNP M.P. Alick Aluvihara , a party stalwart who passed away yesterday (17May). He held a series of responsible positions and his immense services to the people and the country cannot be forgotten , he said. On behalf of the party he conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Late Aluvihara’s family and those grieving following the sad demise.

It is a matter of pride for all, that after 30 years of bloodshed and sufferings , the war has come to an end. The UNP salutes the Forces for its bravery . But, it is the UNP which suffered most at the hands of the LTTE , as a number of UNP leaders fell victims to LTTE brutality. This is because the LTTE had a deep seated grudge against the UNP : it was the UNP which set in motion the beginning of the end of the LTTE . The first blow was the ceasefire agreement signed by the LTTE with the UNP under Ranil Wickremesinghe. This led to the disintegration of the LTTE with the Karuna and Pillayan faction dissociating itself from the LTTE and forming their own group. The UNP strategies through peace negotiations were so effective that the LTTE had only one way out to escape the final rout – it was by defeating Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last Presidential election and electing President Rajapakse , which they did by forcing the Tamil voters in the North to boycott voting , whereby UNP lost many lacs of votes, he noted.

Answering questions posed by the media as to whether the UNP will assist the Govt. in the post war efforts , Mr. Hashim said , the UNP has always been sincere in its intentions and has always extended the Govt. a helping hand . But, as it is the Govt. has no set policies , particularly in the economic sphere . There is no fiscal discipline , no proper fiscal management or control . Therefore , in the circumstances, the UNP cannot be expected to aid and abet the Govt. in its backstreet politics, he exhorted.

-Sri Lanka Guardian