Unity in diversity for Nation's security- PSC

A Parliament Select Committee ( PSC) for National & Religious Harmony urged all political leaders, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, to cooperate with one another, regardless of political, religious or party differences, to ensure the security of the motherland and all of its citizens, to live without fear or suspicion, a declaration released after an all- Party conference said.

The PSC that convened under the banner of a special All-Faith & All- Party Conference on Friday, with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as Chairman, launched “Diyawanna Declaration”, a 10-point document detailing the immediate steps that have to be taken urgently, in order to restore normalcy, following the Easter Sunday terror attacks that shocked the nation.

Emphasizing the need for the 3 arms of the government- Executive, Legislature and Judiciary- to work smoothly with mutual understanding, the committee urged to take relevant decisions through discussions and common agreement, in the event of deficiencies in the Constitution and the 19th Amendment, with regard to the functioning of Independent Commissions.

The PSC also urged to ensure that the National Security Council met regularly with the President, Prime Minister and the State Minister of Defence in attendance, while stressing that the administration of the police should be brought under a full-time Minister, to function as the line Ministry, in keeping with the practices followed by other countries.

It also recommended that immediate steps be taken to prevent the spread of rumours, which causes a negative impact on public life and disrupts work in offices, and to establish a mechanism which can provide truthful and accurate news to the public. The urgent need to re-establish community police service and maintain a strong network of coordination between the police and the general public, was also stressed by the PSC, which was established in March, 2018, following violence in Digana, Kandy.

The PSC was also of the view that the main objective of the Easter Sunday attacks was to fuel disharmony among different communities and reach their extremist goals. Hence, it pointed out that society should be educated further regarding the need to work in harmony and brotherhood, without succumbing to the extremists' tactics.