UNF begins public awareness programme on constitutional crisis

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 November 2003, 18:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Saturday said the current ceasefire agreement with the LTTE should be strengthened to avoid another war. "Negotiated political settlement could be found for the national conflict without war," said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing the first rally at Padavi-Siripura in Trincomalee district Saturday evening inaugurating an awareness programme island wide, to explain to the public, matters related to constitutional crisis between the Executive and the Legislature.

The campaign will come to an end on December 9 with the final rally at Peliyagoda in Gampaha district in the western province. Propaganda meetings will be held in sixteen districts, UNP sources said.

Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe said the government was not in a position to take forward the peace process as two key ministries, defense and interior had been taken over by the President. However the UNF government would extend its support to the President if she ventured to find resolution to national issues.

He appealed to all political parties to make full use of the truce now in force to usher permanent peace.

Mr.Wickremasinghe added a broad dialogue should be initiated between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE about the interim power sharing institution for the northeast province. The LTTE has submitted its response to the government interim administrative structure proposals. The two major political parties should unite to carry out their responsibility in taking forward the stalled peace process and find a permanent solution to the national conflict, he added.

Mr.Wickremasinghe suggested that two major political parties should reach a consensus on the LTTE's interim self-governing authority (ISGA) proposal to avoid differences when a final political settlement is arrived at.

Interim administrative structure should be established in the northeast giving priority to three vital issues, safeguarding the territorial integrity, sharing power for development and to maintain democratic principles in the administration, Mr.Wickremasinghe stressed.