'Problems cannot be solved by killing people'

GAMAPAHA: Some Tamils voted although the LTTE boycotted the last Presidential election in the North and East, and this shows that the Tamils are not agreeable to a one party decision, said Constitutional Affairs and National Integration Minister Dew Gunasekera.

The Minister was speaking at a meeting of party representatives presided by Irrigation and Environment Deputy Minister Pandu Bandaranayake at Madugas Walawwa, Gampaha.

Minister Gunasekare said the LTTE boycotted the election as they feared the people will get used to the democratic way of life. They are also rejecting the local government polls but we want them to come to democratic stream.

He said Prabhakaran wanted to test President Mahinda Rajapakse. Hence he started the NE war again. However, President Rajapakse acted intelligently and did not fall into the trap, hence the world community too are endorsing this act. He said problems cannot be solved by killing people. Palestine which fought a war for 50 years solved the question by discussion. We should start a way of winning the tamil people. For a Tamil letter we should not reply in Sinhala it causes problems.

In recruitment to government service we should have a knowledge of Tamil a necessity for candidates. 53 per cent of Tamils are with the Sinhalese. The government officers at high level should be proficient in 3 languages. In India although many nationalities, in a national question all unite, but not so in Sri Lanka is a problem. There is an international understanding the peace talks will be successful. What we want today is peace.

Deputy Minister Pandu Bandaranayake, former MP S. D. Bandaranayake and Francis Kuruwita also spoke.
