National Patriotic Movement calls for general election

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 January 2004, 13:29 GMT]
The National Patriotic Movement (NPM) Sunday said that the only way to solve the current political impasse is to dissolve the parliament and call for fresh general election.

"This is the wish of the general public and intelligentsia of the country,"said Sinhala nationalist and Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentary group leader Mr.Wimal Weerawanse at a press briefing held Sunday by the NPM.

Mr.Weerawanse said there was dissension among the leaders of the United National Front government. The Prime Minister states that he has withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement. But Minister Professor G.L.Peiris has contradicted this stand stating that Wickremesinghe has not withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement completely. "Who is correct?" asked Mr.Weerawanse.

Mr.Weerawanse further stated that the Prime Minister's statement about his withdrawal from the CFA is meant to intimidate the people and the executive President of Sri Lanka.

NPM activist Mr. Gunadasa Amerasekara said Sri Lanka's President's take over three key ministries including the defense and the disruption of peace process are not related. The LTTE has already withdrawn from the peace process in April last year.

The UNF government was trying to hoodwink the masses by the saying that the President by taking over the three ministries had disrupted the peace process, Mr.Amerasekara added.

The Prime Minister has indirectly admitted his incompetence to govern the country by asking the President to take over the current peace process by amending the ceasefire agreement he signed with the LTTE, Mr.Amerasekara further said.