As the first year of governance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa draws to a close, it is necessary to dwell on one of his two major achievements – which is building consensus in the south for a political solution for the burning national issue.
As history is witness to the deeds, Sri Lanka’s divisive politics since independence had led the country to the brink of calamity. As the country bled through two decades and more of armed conflict and endless attacks of terrorism, those who held the reins of power did not have the magnanimity needed to soften political differences for the country’s sake.
LTTE sympathizers in various countries used these sharp political differences in the south as leverage for their arguments for a separate state. Their dispute was that if the political parties of the south could not join together to offer a solution to the Tamil people, there was no sense in trying to negotiate with the LTTE.
These arguments lost their strength with the victory of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Elections in November 2005. President Rajapaksa addressing the nation after taking oaths, said that his leadership would not be confined to a particular political party or group and promised to work without political biases. He appealed to all parties to support his nation-building program and to bring about lasting peace in the country.
It was definitely not a lot of hot air signifying nothing. The President’s genuine desire for peace led him to convince the democratic polity of the country that it needed to evolve political consensus in negotiating for peace with the LTTE. On April 29, 2006, the All Party Conference the President had summoned, adopted a Joint Statement, endorsed by all parties. This was indeed a historical event.
In the history of Sri Lanka’s post-independence politics, there has never been any joining of the two main political parties, which had hitherto been a major factor leading to Sri Lanka’s losing face with the international community. President Rajapaksa was not about to allow the status quo to remain. On October 23, 2006, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) entered into a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on six common issues to find a solution to Sri Lanka's national crisis. At the signing of the MoU, the President said, “This culture would help us to defeat terrorism and ensure a conducive atmosphere in the country where everybody could live in peace and harmony.” As the Agreement was signed, the President proclaimed with pride and confidence, “... not only are we moving to a new beginning in Sri Lanka, we are also setting an example in the politics of South Asia.”
The President has invited other political parties, including the JVP and the JHU to join forces with the government and the UNP to better serve the country, and through unity, to help “usher in a new political culture.” Said the President, “We are moving in a new direction of political understanding and consensus, as seen in India and other countries.”
Thus, the first year of President Rajapaksa has seen tremendous nation-building efforts, with the President himself calling on all parties and groups to reflect on the responsibilities towards the country and to present and future generations. “We have a responsibility to get together for peace; to defeat terrorism and achieve peace and development. We hope we will have the strength and good fortune to achieve this, overcoming the differences of race, community, religion and politics,” he said.
As the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Sri Lanka is testing the waters of international opinion through political consensus for meaningful peace talks with the LTTE on October 27 and 28.
As analysts see it, the ball is clearly in the court of the LTTE whether it wishes to sit down to meaningful peace talks with the Sri Lanka Government and work toward a solution, or whether it wishes to carry on fighting and shedding innocent blood to the bitter end.
Meanwhile, through it all shines forth an undeniable truth that President Rajapaksa fulfilled a major promise to the people even before one year of governance is out. Unity within the southern polity once confined to wishful thinking is now a convincing reality, paving the way for a durable peace in Sri Lanka. .
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