The L.S.S.P welcome the convening of the all party conference is a forward step in the advance to a political solution to the crisis that has seized the Sri Lanka State for the last 30 years if not more. President Rajapakse’s publicized policy positions made known to the country at the time of his elections expressed his commitment to take the country forward to a political solution acceptable to the majority of the people.

The APC however has had its drawbacks. Its inability to create a politically congenial atmosphere as could draw into its ambit Tamil Parties in Parliament has converted it to a forum southern political debate in which have so far shown no readiness to move to positions of consensus. This is despite the undeniable fact that in the period of the last three decades the major political parties have moved to and accepted the political principle and concept of devolution of political power aimed that investing the territorial periphery with sufficient governmental and administrative power as would give to the periphery a degree of self – determination within a united Sri Lanka.

This was the perspective accepted by the APC of 1984 where the LSSP itself proposed the devolution of political power as a breakthrough to the interminable debate between those who were struck in the controversies involving the federal and unitary concepts of the late 19th century.

President Chandrika Kumarathunga too adopted the concept of devolution of political power on a provincial basis. In the drafting of a new constitution within this perspective, that government received the cooperation of the TULF through Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam. The proposed solution certainly put into the LTTE the fear of isolation. Hence they killed Dr. Tiruchelvam. They failed in their attempt on President Kumarathunga.

The LSSP commends to the APC the task of taking forward the very same policies of devolution of political power at the periphery and peripheral support at the centre.