Sri Lankan PM disagrees with president over assuming defense powers

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 10, 2003

Sri Lankan PM disagrees with president over assuming defense powers

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to meet ambassadors of India, US, Japan and Norway in Colombo asking President Chandrika Kumaratunga to steer the peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels as she has taken over the defense powers, a news report from Colombo said Sunday.

The Sunday Times said Wickremesinghe has taken this stance following Kumaratunga's action last week to take over the ministryof defense by sacking Wickremesinghe's minister which plunged the country into a political crisis.

The four countries co-chair the international community's backing to the Norwegian-backed peace process, the main thrust of the Wickremesinghe administration.

While addressing the nation on Friday night, Kumaratunga justifying her reasons to take over the Defense Ministry said that Wickremesinghe would continue to be in charge of the peace processaimed at solving the armed ethnic conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

But the Sunday Times said that Wickremesinghe is of the view that it was impossible for him to conduct the peace process with the Tamil rebels with Kumaratunga holding the defense portfolio, and the two subjects are interlinked and one leader should be in overall charge of both.

Kumaratunga fired Wickremesinghe's defense, interior and information ministers on grounds of threatening national security.

He accused Wickremesinghe's government of conceding far too much to the rebels putting the national security at risk.

The two rival political leaders were forced to work in an uneasy political cohabitation since December 2001 when Wickremesinghe's United National Party defeated Kumaratunga's People's Alliance in the parliamentary election and annexed power in the 225-member Parliament.

Kumaratunga who was elected separately in December 1999 continues to be the executive president until December 2005.

Kumaratunga during her address on Friday said the Norwegian peace facilitators would continue to broker peace in the island but with specially defined parameters.

The February 2002 ceasefire agreement between the Tamil rebels and the Wickremesinghe government would also continue, the president said.

Both statements were contrary to campaigns by her main opposition party who joined calls by the leftist JVP or People's Liberation Front to abrogate the agreement and ask the Norwegians to quit their facilitation role in the country's ethnic conflict that has claimed over 64,000 lives since 1983.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Sri Lankan president calls for national reconciliation

S.Lankan president actually withdraws state of emergency

Sri Lankan govt accuses president of undermining stability

Is English invading Chinese culture? ( 20 Messages)

Chinese fleet visit heart of US forces in the Pacific ( 15 Messages)

Global survey: Chinese women sexiest ( 56 Messages)

Economist: China has no need to worry about possible trade deficits ( 3 Messages)

Japanese students, teacher make apology in Xi'an ( 17 Messages)

China expects to see trade deficit in near future: official ( 9 Messages)