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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Sri Lankan PM accepts talks offer

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has accepted an offer from the country's president for talks aimed at ending a bitter political power struggle between the two.


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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has accepted an offer from the country's president for talks aimed at ending a bitter political power struggle between the two.

Wickremesinghe will meet with President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Wednesday, cabinet spokesman G.L. Peiris told reporters on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka was plunged into a political crisis last week when Kumaratunga -- who has accused her rival Wickremesinghe of making too many concessions with Tamil rebels during peace efforts -- sacked three key government ministers, took control of state media and suspended parliament while the prime minister was abroad.

But she has maintained that she has no plans to resume hostilities with the rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Saying she was "totally committed to peace", Kumaratunga last week asked the armed forces to abide by the current cease-fire with the rebels and called for "a government of national reconciliation."

However, the political storm has already put peace talks with the government and rebels at risk.

Government spokesman G. L. Peiris announced that direct talks with the LTTE had been postponed for now.

"It seems to us we have to sort out some of these matters before we plunge into a meeting with the LTTE," he said after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Source: CD/Agencies


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