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[May 22, 2005 - 12.00 GMT] SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, in a release yesterday clarified certain misleading interpretations by the JVP about President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's address at the Development Forum meeting in Kandy on May 16. The SLFP statement said it cannot condone the JVP's condemnation of the President's speech. "We expect, in a sprint of brotherhood, that the JVP would rectify its mistake after scrutinizing the President's full speech," it said. The release: "The JVP in a media announcement on the President's address commented that it was inappropriate on the part of the President to express opinions on internal conflicts of ideologies at this international conference where only the common needs of the country were to be discussed. Nothing of this sort was mentioned by the President at this conference. In her lengthy address in English, the President mentioned about the economic condition of the country, the need to alleviate poverty, peace and the development process in the context of the proposed Tsunami Relief Council. In the course of her lengthy speech, she also made reference to probable difficulties the country will confront in ushering in sustainable peace. The President also emphasized that the Tsunami Relief Council is not a part of the peace process but solely a mechanism or an administrative program to be followed by all parties to rehabilitee the tsunami devastated areas for the North and East. She explained that this mechanism may pave the way to permanent peace. She said that to meet this end it was the interests of the country that should be given priority over petty personal gains. The Governments elected by the people have to take decisions. Some times such decisions are difficult ones. At times they are dangerous. The decision that we have to make at this point of time endangers our own lives. Thus she explained the challenges that we may have to face from extremist elements in the country. She said that she is discussing this issue broadly with all the constituent parties of the Government and that she informs the public at every stage of the process. The President spoke of a common need of the country. The common need of the country at this juncture is peace. She did not lambast any component of her Government in doing so. It is regrettable that the JVP interpreted the President's speech in this manner, although several persons from the JVP have made statements denigrating the President. This could be a wrong interpretation of the President's speech or an attempt to distort it deliberately. It is true that the President mentioned extremists in both the North and the South. But the JVP should not be worried about that, because it could no longer be an extremist organisation.In this context, the SLFP cannot condone the JVP's condemnation of the President’s speech. We expect, in a sprint of brotherhood, that the JVP would rectify its mistake after scrutinizing the President's full speech." Meanwhile, the SLFP Executive Committee meeting chaired by President Kumaratunga which met on May 19 passed the following resolutions, an SLFP release said yesterday. The Ex-Co agreed that the terms joint mechanism used for the proposed relief program for the North-East was unsuitable and proposed that the term Tsunami Relief Council be used instead. The Ex-Co urged the President to set up the Tsunami Relief Council swiftly to restore normality to the lives of tsunami-hit people of the North and East.
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