President briefs PLOTE, EPDP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 May 2000, 18:44 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President briefed the leaders of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) this evening about the war situation in Jaffna and the state of the talks between the government and the opposition on reaching a consensus on the constitutional reform package. She told them she hopes for a lot of assistance from India to deal with the crisis in the north.

The President informed Douglas Devananda, the leader of the EPDP and Dharmalingam Siddharthan, the leader of the PLOTE that her government had no intention at all to withdraw troops from Jaffna.

Sri Lanka Air Force jets are bombing the positions of the Liberation Tigers in the peninsula now, she told them. A consignment of weapons have already arrived and that more is expected soon according to her.

The President had blamed the United National Party for dragging its feet in reaching a consensus on the constitutional reform package although she had been keen to do so by this month said a participant in today's discussion.

The PLOTE and EPDP leaders were scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President last evening along with other Tamil parties. This meeting, however, was canceled yesterday.

The President met the PLOTE and EPDP at her official residence this evening from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. sources said.