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We will hit a six and win the match: Ranil
By Nilika Kasturisinghe
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday defended the government's peace efforts, stating that it was the only viable solution to the 19-year-old conflict. Addressing the 48th UNP convention at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said when he took over the country, he had two options: continue the war and destroy the country or pursue peace and develop the country.

He said that the UNF came to office at a time when the country was going through a dangerous phase, but his government had the confidence that it could rebuild this country. "Since the day I took over the country, we began sending goods to the North. We cannot fight this war alone. We need international support. We gained international support from India, the United States, Norway, Japan, the European Union, the Commonwealth, China, Russia and the UN to safeguard the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," the Prime Minister said.

He said his government's efforts had begun to bear fruit with LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham making a statement in Oslo that the rebel group was committed to solve the conflict through political discussion.

He said that had his government pursued the war, it would not have succeeded in obtaining such a commitment from the LTTE. "These are big things. The ceasefire agreement is a big achievement towards establishing the rights of the Tamil people of the North and East."

Commenting on the economic impact of the conflict, the Prime Minister said that the ongoing peace process was "our last chance" to put the country on a sound economic footing.

"This is our last chance. We are at a decisive point in time. We will either progress or be destroyed. "Our debt exceeds our Gross National Product. This cannot go on forever. From January we will go to the field and create two million jobs," he said.

Using cricketing parlance to explain his government's commitment towards these goals, the Prime Minister recalled what a young boy had told him: "This is the last ball of the final over. A four will not win the match. Hit a six, and win the match."

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