At a conference organized by the International Alert (a London based group), 23 Sri Lankan members of parliament supported the idea of seeking the assistance of an international facilitator to negotiate a settlement for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Later the president of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga also expressed her support for a facilitator to play as an intemediary between the parties to the conflict, to bring about a political settlement to the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka.

This group of 23 Sri Lankan MP’s of all parties who attended a peace conference in Northern Ireland have said the LTTE should be included in the process of negotiations to find a political solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflicts.

The parliamentarians from the Government, the UNP and the minority parties of a facilitator may be useful at this juncture to move the talks forward.
The Sri Lankan MP’s attended the programme in Northern Ireland organized by the London-based International Alert in collaboration with the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. The programme ended in Ballymena, Northern Ireland on October 20. The parliamentarians, drawn from different political parties, included:

I. Y. Abeywardhana, D. D. K. Alahapperuma, Dr. S.L.B. Amunugama, Y. P. De Silva, N. D. Devanandan, P. P. Devaraja, N. S. Ellawala, Tyronne Fernando, Nihal Galappaththi, K. D. U. Gunaratane, A. R. H. Hakeem, M. L. A. M. Hizbullah, Karunasena Kodithuwakku, I. B. Markar, Joseph Pararahsingham, B. D. P. A. Perera, Shantha Premaratne, Jayatissa Ranaweera, M. Samarasinghe, J. B. Tenakoon, N. M. Wijeyeratne.

The MP’s also expressed strong support for the deliberations by the Parliamentary Select Committee which is examining constitutional amendments and devolution proposals.