Karuna says must merge North and East

Leader of Tamil United Freedom Front (TUFF) Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman said he would become an ally of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and convince former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to merge the North and the East and fully implement the LLRC recommendations, if he comes to power.

The TUFF won 10 seats at the recently held LG polls and Karuna said his party is fully in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa taking up the leadership and that is definite in the coming years.

On the SLPP’s LG Polls victory, Karuna added that the incumbent leader should dissolve Parliament taking the consensus into account and step down. “The reality is that they lost badly at the LG polls.”

“I have always said there cannot be any other leader but Rajapaksa and he is the one who can solve the national issue, which even the current government does not know how to solve,” he said.

The former Eastern Province LTTE commander, who also held the senior post of Vice President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said it was the Rajapaksas who developed the North and the East and had been continuing it till he was defeated ‘by outside forces’. He said the Government betrayed the people when the LLRC was in hand. “If that is implemented it’s more than enough,” noted Karuna.

He said Rajapaksa should revisit the LLRC and implement it fully. He further said that he would be meeting Mahinda Rajapaksa this week and supporting him fully to form the Government which is definite.

“I have always said that Rajapaksa is the ideal leader who can solve the national issues but could not implement it. This Government too, within two years, has been ‘rejected’,” Karuna said. He said it would be wise to merge the North and the East and share powers, which is something that the Muslims are rejecting. There should be a solution to sort out their issues too so that peace will prevail, he added.

Karuna also reiterated that the missing people are dead and there is no point in looking forthem after five years have gone. “Legally, if the missing persons do not return within five years, they are counted to be dead and the death certificate should be issued,” Karuna said.

On the allegations that persons went missing after they were handed over to the military,Karuna said there were no underground prisons or secret detention camp whatsoever “however that matter also could be resolved if the LLRC is implemented fully.”

He also disagreed with the incumbent Government’s attempt to have hybrid Courts, as recommended by the UNHRC. Karuna noted that there should be a mechanism, but definitely no foreign judges should be entertained. (Ceylon Today)