‘Chandrika spreading war phobia’ -UNF

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2003, 13:03 GMT]
As the spokesman for the President of Sri Lanka said Wednesday that the President, Chandrika Kumaratunge, is of the view that the LTTE is preparing for war, the United National Front government responded that a section of the main opposition People’s Alliance led by Ms.Kumaratunge is engaged in spreading war phobia in the country, political sources said

Mr.Harim Peiris, the spokesman for the President, further said that the President is for continuing the peace talks and finding a political solution to the ethnic conflict through negotiation and not by war. However, he said that the President "has got information that the LTTE is recruiting members for its fighting cadre and killing police and military informants in preparation for war."

"Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe is simply ignoring the warning that the LTTE is working with a hidden agenda," said Mr. Peiris.

He added that President Kumaratunge has almost decided to take charge of the Interior Ministry if the present Minister fails to curb the increase of political murders and other crimes in the country.