Sri Lanka's PM invites TNA for talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 06:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited the Tamil National Alliance for talks on Wednesday evening to discuss the present constitutional crisis and the future of the peace process. Earlier on the day Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe is scheduled to meet the President at the latter's invitation at the Presidential Secretariat, political sources said.

A delegation of the TNA parliamentarians led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan is scheduled to attend the talks with the PM which is described as a crucial one as Prime Minister is to meet TNA after holding talks with President, sources further said.

Meanwhile talks between the TNA delegation and Norwegian envoys led by Mr. Vidar Helgessen were held Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. at the Norwegian embassy. The TNA delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr.R.Sampanthan included the leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front and Jaffna district TNA parliamentarian Mr.V.Ananadasangaree.

Special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim and Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Mr.Jan Brattskar accompanied Mr.Helgessen in the discussion, sources said.

Earlier Mr.Helgessen met with the leader of the opposition Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse. The acting head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, Norwegian ambassador and Erik Solheim accompanied Mr.Helgessen in the talks, sources said.