<p>Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ruled out a federal solution to the ethnic conflict, <em>The Island </em>reported. </p>
<p>Speaking to editors and senior representatives of electronic media at the Presidential Secretariat, Gotabaya told them "there was no point wasting time on solutions that couldn’t be implemented," The Island wrote. </p>
<p>Instead, Gotabaya claims that development of the North-East in the form of employment, education and health facilities will bring peace to the island. </p>
<p>His comments come just a week after families of the disappeared rallied across the North-East, demanding Sri Lanka's new president reveal the whereabouts of their disappeared loved ones. Since taking up office, Gotabaya has not addressed any of their demands.</p>
<p>During his election campaign, Gotabaya vowed to reject the UNHRC resolution 30/1 which mandates a hybrid judicial mechanism with foreign judges and lawyers to prosecute those responsible for mass atrocities committed during the armed conflict. </p>
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