Private sector makes joint appeal for harmony during and post elections

The country’s private sector as well as professionals yesterday made a joint appeal for harmony during and following the decisive and highly-competitive general elections on 17 August.

The appeal came from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), Joint Apparel Associations Forum (JAAF), Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) and International Chamber of Commerce – Sri Lanka (ICC) together with the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA), which is the apex body representing all recognised professional associations in the country.

They appealed to the leaders of all political parties  and every candidate seeking a mandate in the forthcoming parliamentary elections to be held on 17 August to foster and guarantee communal, racial and religious harmony during the period of elections and thereafter.

“We strongly believe that the country has undergone many calamities and socio-political upheavals, resulting in instability in the past few decades, thus preventing the nation realising its dreams. Such an environment ultimately brought about the current economic setbacks and therefore it is immensely important for all concerned parties to appreciate the imminent need for stability, the social cohesion and the communal, racial and religious harmony to build a prosperous nation,” the joint appeal said.

“We also appeal to all the constituents to be conscious of the above and cast their votes with utmost responsibility, and elect a stable government that can truly carry forward a national agenda enabling and guaranteeing all Sri Lankans to live in harmony. On our part we are committed towards a nation of communal, inter-racial and inter-religious harmony,” they added.