Ranil woos JVP, TNA

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday praised the JVP and the TNA as political parties that had ideologies, however different to the UNP, and called upon them to start a consultation process for a long-term solution to the country's continuing political and economic ills.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

Speaking at Moneragala, a JVP stronghold, Mr. Wickremesinghe said that opposition parties also represent a section of the country's citizenry, and that they had to do the bidding of their representatives.

He said that if the people wanted them to protest against government excesses, or the cost of living, or if they want an election, the Opposition had to heed their cries.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said he had already discussed the country's problems with JVP and TNA MPs informally in Parliament, and that he had suggested to SLFP (M) leader Mangala Samaraweera to carry forward these discussions under the banner of the National Congress with these same parties.

Already, there was some convergence of ideas on corruption and parliamentary control over the Presidency, he noted. He said these discussions should also extend to other segments of civil society, and that he found after his talks with TNA and JVP MPs that a new constitutional model should be worked out for the country.

"Whoever comes to office, there should be a long-term plan, for the next 10 to 15 years for Sri Lanka", the Opposition Leader said. Explaining his party's recent decision to drop its support for federalism, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the country would be arguing on words for the next two centuries without coming to a conclusion.

Sri Lanka has three distinct advantages, he told the National Congress rally. They were its location, her people and the climate and natural resources and environment. These had to be harnessed to find investment for the economic betterment of the people.

He said that even if the JVP did not wish to join them in a future government, or agree with their policies, the National Congress would begin a process of discussion with it about the future of the country.