SLFP-JVP talks fail

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 September 2003, 21:12 GMT]
Seven months of talks between the leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the chief constituent of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) and the marxist, Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to forge a political alliance failed Friday, political sources in Colombo said.

"Leaders of both parties agreed to terminate talks as they failed to reach consensus on several issues including finding a political solution to the northeast conflict," said JVP parliamentary group leader Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, media sources said.

Leaders of both parties differed in the question of formulating a common stand in the northeast conflict. The JVP stressed that a political solution should be found for the northeast conflict within the unitary form of government. But the SLFP leaders reiterated its earlier position that the political solution should be found based on devolution of power. The JVP vehemently opposed it, political sources said.

Later the JVP leader Mr.Weerawanse said the SLFP is supporting the devolution of power to settle the northeast conflict because of the pressure by the international community. The SLFP's stand would take the country to disaster, he said, according to Colombo sources.

Mr.Weerawanse made an appeal to SLFP members to give pressure to their leaders to abandon the present policy on northeast conflict.