ISGA must form basis for talks- UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2004, 14:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday reiterated its stand that the future talks between the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should commence on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA), said UNP's media spokesman and former minister Professor G.L.Peiris addressing a press briefing in Colombo.

UNP revealed its official stand publicly on the eve of a scheduled discussion to be held Thursday evening between the Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim and the Leader of the Opposition in the current parliament Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Prof.Peiris said his party would support the UPFA government if it commenced peace talks based on the LTTE's ISGA.

Any peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE should be within the framework of Oslo and Tokyo accords, Professor Peiris added.

He further said that there was sharp division in the UPFA government in finding a common approach to starting peace talks with the LTTE.

The marxist, sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the UPFA government, has been strongly opposing recommencing peace talks on the basis of LTTE's ISGA proposal.

Mr.Solheim who returned to Colombo Thursday afternoon from Killinochchi having held discussion with the LTTE Political Head Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan in the morning is scheduled to meet former Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe and President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge later in the evening, sources said.