UNF MPs endorse peace talks, India’s role

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 December 2001, 15:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to visit Delhi on 23 December on a three-day official visit to hold discussions with Indian leaders, United National Party sources said Thursday. Preparations for starting peace negotiations with the Liberation Tigers would be a central issue in Mr. Wickremesinghe’s discussions with the Indian Prime Minister and senior ministers in Delhi, according to the sources. The Parliamentary group of the United National Front, which met Thursday, resolved unanimously to do the needful to start the peace process soon. Sri Lanka’s new Foreign Minister Mr. Tyronne Fernando said Thursday’s attack on the Parliament in Delhi wouldn’t change India’s stand on the peace negotiations between the Liberation Tigers and his government. The LTTE and the Tamil National Alliance say that there should be Norwegian mediation in peace talks with Colombo.

“India will play a constructive role in getting the peace talks started”, a UNP leader said.

The UNF parliamentary group also decided to “enlist the support of relevant local political parties and the USA and the European nations to end the war”.

Meanwhile, the convening of Sri Lanka’s 12th Parliament was postponed again to 19 November Thursday. The rescheduling was due to uncertainty over the determination of the day for observing Ramadan.