No ISGA outside parliamentary procedure - UPFA govt.

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 2004, 16:08 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Media Minister and United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government's new cabinet spokesman Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Friday rejected reports in a section of the media that the President was exploring the possibility of establishing Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in the northeast province outside parliamentary procedure as baseless. '' There is absolutely no truth in such reports,'' Mr. Mangala Samaraweera said at the cabinet press briefing.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera replied to a question when he was asked about a media report that the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge is learnt to have pointed out to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians when she met them last week that she as Executive President, could establish ISGA, as long as it was within the Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity, without even recourse to parliament.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera said some section of the media had published untruth about the discussion the President had with the TNA parliamentarians and also had distorted her address to the nation.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera addressed his first cabinet press briefing after assuming as Media Minister last week. He replaced Mr. Reginald Cooray who resigned his ministerial post to contest the Western Provincial Council election as the chief ministerial candidate, sources said.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera further said that the UPFA government is committed to take forward the peace process. Peace talks between the GOSL and LTTE would be conducted in a transparent manner.

A political solution to the conflict would be found to the satisfaction of Tamils who voted for the UPFA and the UNP, Samaraweera said. Both the government and the LTTE should adopt flexibility in taking forward the peace process towards finding a permanent political solution to the conflict, he said.

Mr. Mangala Samaraweera replied to a question he would order an inquiry into the complaint made by the LTTE that the State media has been spreading false information regarding the internal crisis of the LTTE. He admitted that the State media could have carried false information about the internal clash of the LTTE in a competition among media to carry the news first.