From Dennis S Jesudasan Jaffna, Feb 10 (PTI) A top Sri Lankan Tamil politician, today underlined the need for leaders from the minority ethnic community to participate in a key parliamentary panel to seek a solution to their political aspirations. Insisting that Tamil opposition parties in Sri Lanka nominate their members to Parliamentary Select Committee set by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) founder and minister Douglas Devananda has said they should come forward for a "possible solution." "Even today I am not interested in competition politics. If TNA (Tamil National Alliance) takes a right and possible stand, I am ready to abandon competition politics," the minister for Traditional Industries & Small Enterprise Development said to a query from a group of visiting journalists from Chennai on whether he was taking steps to reduce troops in the area. Earlier, Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa had said, "It is the duty of all parties in the country to solve problems according to people's wishes by participating in this Parliamentary Select Committee rather than relying on imported solutions and utilising foreign influences". Calling the Indo Sri Lankan Accord a "golden opportunity," Devananda said only two organisations were able to lay their hands on them. "One was LTTE and the other EPRLF. Tigers threw it away for their personal gain. EPRLF abused the accord." "Before the Indo Sri Lankan accord, I used to call the Sinhalese government, since its (Sri Lankan government) character was different. But after the accord, there have been changes in the Sri Lankan government in its character. But unfortunately, Tamil leadership did not make use of it well," he said. Listing out Indo Sri Lankan Accord, talks with former Presidents Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe as "wonderful opportunities," he said, "Even talks with present President Rajapaksa too happened. But (nothing materialised, as Tamil Opposition did not make use of the situation)," he said. (MORE) PTI DSJ APR RBS SAZ
