Govt assures political solution for Tamils

The Sri Lankan government said on Monday that a political solution for the minority Tamils will be implemented through proposed constitutional reforms. Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said the government will hold talks with the Tamil parties to reach a political solution for the North and East issue. Once a political solution is agreed upon it will be included in the constitutional reforms to be presented to Parliament for approval, he said. The Tamil parties have been demanding rights for the minority Tamils who suffered the most in a 30-year civil war between the government forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels, which ended in May 2009. The minister noted the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), two major parties in the country, decided to work together in a unity government to address key national issues. Without the majority support of Parliament, it is difficult for a government to provide solutions for matters which are of national importance, he stressed. The minister also noted that faced with international pressure on the war crimes charges, both parties need to work together. "If the main two political parties are together then we can tell the UN the two main parties and the public have one stand on the issue. We can tell them to listen to what we want to say as well," he said. (Xinhua)