ASIA/SRI LANKA - Administrative elections: popularity test for prime minister Rajapakse, while religions movements, groups and communities call for peace

Thursday, 30 March 2006

Colombo (Fides Service) - Administrative elections today 30 March could mark another step towards reconciliation in Sri Lanka. This is the hope of political leaders, civil society groups and associations, religious leaders, Catholic clergy and committed lay people anxious to see harmony and trust restored between Tamil minority and Sinhalese majority. The peace process according to local sources is threatened only by extremist Marxist or religious fundamentalist groups which should be isolated to defend a culture of pluralism and tolerance.
Although violence in the north and the east of Sri Lanka controlled by the LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam diminished after talks between government and rebels in February in Geneva, the administrative vote was postponed for six months in the hope that by then tension would have further subsided. Today ten million voters in the south are voting for representatives in 226 local administrations.
Observers say the vote will affect the peace process and test the popularity of president Mahinda Rajapakse. In the meantime hope for peace is rising and in mediation between government and Tamil minority (there should be a second round of talks in mid April), civil society and religious organisation hope the peace process will make progress. Local sources say society in Sri Lanka is quite stable but talks must be productive. The Catholic Church Sri Lanka, at this crucial stage, is pushing the sides to reconciliation. On the path to peace the country’s Bishops support a plan for greater administrative devolution for the Tamil regions while maintaining national unity. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2006 righe 27 parole 279)


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