Sri Lankan President, PM meet

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Sri Lankan President, PM meet

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Sri Lanka's prime minister and president met Wednesday for the first time since their power struggle erupted into a political crisis, but neither appeared ready for compromise that will clear the way for a resumption of peace talks with Tamil rebels.

It was their first meeting since President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacked three ministers and suspended parliament on Nov. 4, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was on a trip to Washington.

Wickremesinghe's bulletproof motorcade was seen driving into the President's House in central Colombo at 5:30 a.m. GMT.

The residence was off limits to the media.

The two are childhood acquaintances and scions of political dynasties that have shared power in the island nation but have been bitter rivals for years.

Kumaratunga, who is elected separately from the prime minister, sacked the ministers and suspended parliament until November 19 because she felt Wickremesinghe was compromising security by making too many concessions to the rebels.

She followed that up with an offer to form a "national unity government." Wickremesinghe countered that she had to reinstate the ministers or take over herself the task of hammering out a peace after a two-decade war that has killed 64,000 people and pummeled the economy.

Despite their rivalry, the president and prime minister are polite and friendly when they meet, said officials who have seen them.

Source: Agencies

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