Sri Lankan president vows to safeguard national security

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 17, 2003

Sri Lankan president vows to safeguard national security

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Sunday vowed not to allow national security to deteriorate in the name of Norwegian-brokered peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

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Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Sunday vowed not to allow national security to deteriorate in the name of Norwegian-brokered peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Addressing a public gathering held in the central hilly city of Kandy to pay compensation to relatives of the armed forces personnel who were disabled or killed in action, Kumaratunga said that it was her task to protect the rights of all communities.

"If the nation's sovereignty is harmed by the ongoing peace process it would be an insult to the members of the armed forces who paid with their lives to protect the island's territorial integrity," she said.

Kumaratunga's remarks came amid the current political crisis triggered earlier this month by herself when she sacked three key ministers and suspend the parliament for two weeks.

The government has asked her to take responsibility for the Norwegian-brokered peace process as she has taken the portfolio of defense minister which is closely linked to the peace process.

However, Kumaratunga has called for the forming of a national government of reconstruction and reconciliation in a bid to solve the current political crisis.

She will meet with her arch political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this week to continue discussion to solve the crisis following the inconclusive talks on Wednesday.

The political crisis in the country has prompted Norwegian facilitators to suspend their role in the peace process.

Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen who concluded his visit to the country on Friday said that they are waiting for the ending of the political crisis before they could make further efforts to push forward the peace process.

Peace process in the country have been stalled in April by the Tamil Tiger rebels following six previous rounds since September last year.

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