Rajapaksa says he will devise 'homegrown' political solution

Colombo, May 29 (PTI) Fresh from his victory against the
LTTE, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said his
government will devise a "homegrown" political solution to
resolve the decades-old ethnic problem in the country.

He invited Indian industrialists to come and contribute
to the development of Sri Lanka especially since the security
atmosphere will see a radical transformation now.

"The India-Lanka accord led to the 13th amendment to the
Sri Lankan constitution. In that way the homegrown approach
covers the position of India, too. This time, a political
solution will be devised after taking every shade of
Sri Lankan opinion into consideration," Rajapaksa told 'The
Week' in an interview.

"Since peace is in the interest of Sri Lanka, we have
to sit down and decide on its content ourselves," he said.

The President said he has fought "India's war" by
eliminating the LTTE militarily, which had assassinated former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 18 years ago.

"I think my war is part of the South Asian campaign
against terrorism. In fact, by eliminating the LTTE
militarily, I have fought India's war."

Rajapaksa said the next responsibility of the troops will
be to contribute to the relief and rehabilitation of the
displaced people in the north and northeast and added that
even during the war, they were building roads and bridges in
the north.

The President said "nothing is more important for me than
what India thinks" and thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Indian people for the
support to Sri Lanka during the war.

"My victory coincided with her (Sonia's) electoral
victory. I have written to her congratulating her on winning
the elections. India's moral support during the war was most
important," Rajapaksa said.

Asked whether he wants to build bridges with politicians
in Tamil Nadu, he said he was congratulated by many
politicians in Tamil Nadu after the war.

"Look at the fate of LTTE supporters in Tamil Nadu in
the elections. All those who supported the Tigers have been
routed. The people of Tamil Nadu have given these terror
supporters a fitting reply," he said.

He also criticised certain NGOs and other aid agencies
and said "these are the elite of Tamil society who had no clue
about the hardship faced by the people in the LTTE-held
northern Sri Lanka."

Rajapaksa said he wants to have friends all over South
Asia. "I find it all right to have good ties with Pakistan
also," he said when pointed out that he has engaged
antagonistic parties like the Israelis and the Palestinians
and India and Pakistan.

On allegations of human rights abuse by Lankan soldiers,
he said he thinks that the human rights lobby got its timing
wrong. "Where were they when the LTTE terrorised Sri Lankans
all these years?" PTI ETB
RKM
NNNN





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