War panel a delaying tactic - UNP
March 28, 2011 08:00 am
The main opposition party in Sri Lanka has accused the government of exploiting a presidential war panel for political propaganda.
The general secretary of the United National Party (UNP) said the party is not confident whether the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is fulfilling task.
“We are suspicious whether the LLRC is seriously working on to find a political solution to the national issue,” Tissa Attanayake, MP, told BBC Sandeshaya.
He was responding to reports that UNP and opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, MP, has decided not to testify before the LLRC.
‘Political project’
But Mr Attanayake says the party has not received any such invitation from the LLRC.
“This is a political project for the government. It is just another attempt by the government to postpone finding a political solution,” he added.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the LLRC in May 2010 to investigate the breakdown of the ceasefire signed in 2002 between the then UNP-led government and the LTTE and “incidents” after that.
“What we witnessed during the last few months that the state media using testimonies before the LLRC to sling mud against the opposition,” said Mr Attanayake.
The UNP general secretary also accused the LLRC of “being selective” and “supporting” the government agenda.
“Not only we were not invited but the LLRC has not objected state media using the testimonies to sling mud on the opposition,” he added.
He warned the government’s behaviour will lead to more conflicts between the communities instead of reconciling the parties that waged a bloody war for decades, BBC reports.
The general secretary of the United National Party (UNP) said the party is not confident whether the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is fulfilling task.
“We are suspicious whether the LLRC is seriously working on to find a political solution to the national issue,” Tissa Attanayake, MP, told BBC Sandeshaya.
He was responding to reports that UNP and opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, MP, has decided not to testify before the LLRC.
‘Political project’
But Mr Attanayake says the party has not received any such invitation from the LLRC.
“This is a political project for the government. It is just another attempt by the government to postpone finding a political solution,” he added.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the LLRC in May 2010 to investigate the breakdown of the ceasefire signed in 2002 between the then UNP-led government and the LTTE and “incidents” after that.
“What we witnessed during the last few months that the state media using testimonies before the LLRC to sling mud against the opposition,” said Mr Attanayake.
The UNP general secretary also accused the LLRC of “being selective” and “supporting” the government agenda.
“Not only we were not invited but the LLRC has not objected state media using the testimonies to sling mud on the opposition,” he added.
He warned the government’s behaviour will lead to more conflicts between the communities instead of reconciling the parties that waged a bloody war for decades, BBC reports.
