Sri Lanka to continue peace process with Tamil rebels: president

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 14, 2003

Sri Lanka to continue peace process with Tamil rebels: president

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said on Friday that she has asked Prime Minister RanilWickremesing he to continue the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels amid current political crisis.

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Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said on Friday that she has asked Prime Minister RanilWickremesing he to continue the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels amid current political crisis.

In a statement issued by the president's office, Kumaratunga said the ceasefire agreement signed by the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels will continue to bein place and that negotiations between the two sides should continue.

The president's statement is in response to a statement issued hours earlier on the day by Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen before his departure here.

Helgessen said that Sri Lankan peace process has been seriouslyimpeded by the political crisis in the country and the Norwegian facilitators are waiting for the ending of the crisis before they can make further efforts to push for peace.

Helgessen, who arrived here on Monday night along with Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim, held talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other government officials as well as civil society members.

Kumaratunga said that a government of national reconstruction and reconciliation should be established in the country in which all parties could assist in taking forward the peace process.

"She also suggested to the prime minister that a committee should be appointed to ensure the smooth continuation between the defense authorities and the peace secretariat." the statement said.

"The objective of her effort is to ensure there is not only clarity but countrywide support for a settlement which will be an honorable solution to the long-standing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka." the statement further said.

Last week President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacked three key ministers and suspended the parliament until Nov. 19, plunging thecountry into a political crisis.

Kumaratunga and her arch political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met on Wednesday inconclusively and the two leaderswill meet again next week for further discussions to solve the current political crisis.

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