Sri Lanka's feuding leaders to meet but crisis may not end

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

Sri Lanka's feuding leaders to meet but crisis may not end

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Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are to meet on Wednesday which is aimed at resolving the current political impasse, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

"Prime Minister will discuss ways and means to resolve the conflict but the main focus will be on ways to keep the peace process forward," G.L. Peiris, Constitutional Affairs Minister said.

Kumaratunga on Monday invited Wickremesinghe for a discussion on the forming of a national government after her action last week of sacking three key ministers of the Wickremesinghe government.

Peiris said that serious damage had been done to the on going peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels by president's action to take over the Ministry of Defense from Wickremesinghe's grasp.

"The main matter the Prime Minister will be discussing with thepresident is remedial action to minimize damage inflicted (on the peace process)," he also said.

He said that 3,000 tourists have canceled their plan to travel here and some investors also turned away when the president imposed a state of emergency.

Kumaratunga fired the three ministers on Nov. 4 and suspended the country's parliament for two weeks which has prevented the government from presenting its next year's budget proposals.

Wickremesinghe whose ruling United National Party (UNP) has control over parliament now wants it be re-summoned.

Peiris said that a majority of the 225-members have written to the Parliamentary Speaker on Tuesday calling for a ruling on parliament's judicial powers with the hope of defying Kumaratunga's suspension decree.

"We believe the way forward is through immediate reconvening ofparliament," Peiris said, echoing signs of widening rift between the two major political forces in the island.

Kumaratunga has been forced to work in an uneasy political cohabitation with Wickremesinghe since December 2001 when her People's Alliance was defeated by the UNP.

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