‘Ethnic reconciliation must be priority of new president’- NPCSL

The new president must demonstrate leadership by advancing a power-sharing arrangement that empowers provincial councils. Without political stability and ethnic harmony, the country will continue to struggle to attract the foreign investment and international partnerships it desperately needs

As the Presidential Election campaign drew to a close by midnight yesterday (Wednesday), the focus now shifts from electoral competition to the urgent challenges facing the country. 
While the election outcome remains uncertain, what is clear is that the next president will inherit a country grappling with economic instability and deep-rooted problems of impunity and corruption. 
The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka (NPCSL), through a press release that it issued, has stressed about an existing challenge that the newly elected government needs to resolve. That is the long-standing ethnic conflict which the council maintains can be resolved by initiating a sustainable political solution based on the devolution of power. The council adds that the new president must prioritise this issue to bring lasting peace and unity to the country.
Since independence, the failure to govern a multi-ethnic society with fairness and inclusion has led to decades of war and terrorism. These divisions have drained the country’s economic and human resources and left scars that continue to hinder progress. 
A genuine political solution that acknowledges the aspirations of all communities is essential to rebuild trust and foster a sense of national belonging.  In any political solution, the incoming president should ensure that the Malaiyaha Tamil Communities do not fall between the cracks, which they have endured for decades.

 The three leading candidates have each demonstrated their abilities to lead in various ways. However, to move the country forward, they must commit to addressing the ethnic conflict without putting the issue on the backburner. The new president, regardless of who wins, must demonstrate leadership by advancing a power-sharing arrangement that empowers provincial councils and ensures equitable representation for minority communities. Without political stability and ethnic harmony, the country will continue to struggle to attract the foreign investment and international partnerships it desperately needs.
The solution to the country’s challenges lies not just in economic reform but in building a political framework that respects the rights and aspirations of all its citizens. Resolving the ethnic conflict through devolution is not just about governance but is also about economic recovery. The international community and all Sri Lankan citizens must support this effort.
(The National Peace Council is an independent and non partisan organization that works towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka)