This was a year in which peace, albeit not permanently yet, has been successfully negotiated, and the people have earned a respite from the stresses and tensions of an ongoing internal conflict.

No peace can be perfect, but some issues we believe are so fundamental at their core, that it is our duty to bring them to the attention of the government of the day however unpalatable it may be.

The issue of a parallel judicial system run by the LTTE, the unloading of arms and ammunition under cover of the peace process and the continuous violation of democratic and human rights in the North and the East, and now the scandalous decision to gift a radio station to the LTTE with equipment and all, in a quasi-military manoeuvre in which all local and international laws were violated in consort with an 'honest broker', are all issues that the people of this country must be privy to in order that they can make an informed decision if and when the day comes for them to make such a decision on a final negotiated settlement.

There are continuing ominous signs of the arrival of that day.

As far as the LTTE is concerned, there are two versions in most of these statements, one for the English press, and another for the Tamil media. To the world at large, they are prepared to discuss federalism in a united Sri Lanka, but when it comes to the cadres, their final goal is -- make no mistake -- a nation called Thamil Eelam.

So, with all this ringing in our years, we go onto a new year, echoing the common refrain that we hear from the pulpit, which is that this war which will not give the LTTE victory nor the government any peace, will end, and that the people in whose name war and peace is waged, will enjoy the fruits of peace sooner or later.

The fractured relationship between the President and the Prime Minister has not helped the people.

We need to place it on record that the Prime Minister to his credit tried his utmost to cohabit with the President initially. But the President looked away, and didn't just go about skulking, but she started ranting and raving too, until her own party men said 'this is no good' and reined in her garrulous instincts to thrash the Premier at every opportunity she got.

Then, the Prime Minister was ill-advised to fight the President with a two thirds majority through the instrument of the 19th Amendment, by the crossover and double crossover MPs on his side. Having failed in that exercise, he is now prepared to cohabit again.

But the curious irony here is that it is because Anton Balasingham says that there should be a two thirds majority, and that the Prime Minister must deliver, that cohabitation seems to be on the cards again.

This is not how it should be. Cohabitation should be there for the good of the many - and to neutralise those rascals from both the Government and the Opposition who are exploiting the numbers game in Parliament for their own benefit.

As the 55th year of our regaining independence over our own political destinies dawns this coming year, a whole new decent political leadership must emerge from the dust of the horrifying experiences of the recent past. It is time to say goodbye to the bad old days and welcome the brave new world.

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