S. AFRICA TO PLAY FACILITATORY ROLE
They were central figures in political talks between Nelson Mandela and Frederick de Klerk who ruled South Africa
South Africa is to play a role in facilitating the revival of the stalled talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in evolving a political solution, party officials said yesterday. South Africa's International Affairs Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim and former Defence Minister and Constitutional Affairs Minister of South Africa Roelf Meyer visited Sri Lanka last week and held talks with External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris,
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the TNA.
The two members were central figures in the political negotiations between iconic South African President Nelson Mandela and Frederick de Klerk who ruled South Africa during the period of apartheid. They are influential members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the visiting South African members expressed their willingness to mediate talks between the government and his party.
"We are certain that South Africa will play a role in bringing the two sides to the negotiation table. During the meeting with us, they informed that they would play
We are certain that South Africa will play a role in bringing the two sides to the negotiation table. During the meeting with us, they informed that they would play a role.
a role. We welcome their approach. We look forward to it," he said.
The talks between the two sides remain deadlocked since January this year. The TNA handed over its proposals for a power sharing arrangement with the government. However, the government insisted that the TNA should participate in the proposed parliamentary select committee to discuss a political solution with the participation of all the political parties in Parliament. Yet, the TNA rejected the government's call, and asked for the continuation of bipartisan talks for any understanding on the contours of the proposed solution.
The Indian parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj, during its visit to Sri Lanka, also stressed the two parties to resume the political dialogue at any cost.
"There is a stalemate. It has to be broken," Mrs. Swaraj told a packed news conference after the conclusion of the visit in April, this year.