Sri Lanka's PM withdraws from peace process

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 November 2003, 10:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Friday said that he has informed the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, to take in charge of the peace process, saying he is unable to take forward the process launched two years ago due to the current political crisis.
Full story >>

SL President, Prime Minister brief their constituent parties

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 2003, 10:28 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe Thursday began separately briefing their constituent parties in the main opposition People Alliance (PA) and the United National Front (UNF) respectively with regard to the outcome of their talks held Wednesday at the Presidential House on the current political crisis, political sources said.
Full story >>

"SL President's lack of sincerity will hamper peace efforts" -TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 12:34 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Tuesday told the Norwegian peace envoys that defense arrangements of the country should be left in the hands of one party that is dedicated to take forward the current peace process with sincerity. Sri Lanka's President's past actions of not responding to LTTE's unilateral ceasefire in December 2000 and her attempts to sideline Norway's peace envoy Eric Soleheim reflect her lack of sincerity and leaving the Peace Process in her command will damage peace efforts, TNA delegation added.
Full story >>

SL President invites PM for talks on national government

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 2003, 12:43 GMT]
In a letter sent to the Prime Minister Monday evening Sri Lanka’s President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has invited Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe for talks on her proposal to form a Government of Reconstruction and reconciliation. She has given three dates and times to hold the talks, government sources said.


Full story >>

UNF prepared to face snap elections - Peiris

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 2003, 09:37 GMT]
The UNF spokesman and Minister of Constitutional Affairs Mr. G.L.Peiris said Monday that the Prime Minister Mr. Wickremsinghe and his government are prepared to face a snap election, media sources said. It is logical to assume that we have to resolve the "threshold issue" before anything else, Mr. Peiris is reported to have told the media. The Prime Minister's office denied earlier reports on the talks being postponed. The decision is to be taken after the LTTE's views are received through the Norwegian Foreign Deputy Mr.Helgesen, who is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka today.
Full story >>

Speaker to entertain request to reconvene parliament

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 2003, 08:30 GMT]
The Speaker of the Parliament, Mr.Joseph Michael Perera, Monday requested the leaders of the political parties who had attended a meeting in his chamber to submit a written request to reconvene the parliament before Tuesday. The main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) and the Sinhala nationalist -Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) boycotted the party leaders meeting convened by the Speaker stating it was illegal, parliamentary sources said.
Full story >>

NorthEast Trade Union criticises SL President's actions

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 November 2003, 14:56 GMT]
North East Trade Unions Federation (NETUF) at a special meeting held Sunday condemned the recent actions by the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge as a step to derail the peace talks between the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," sources said.


Full story >>

UNF to bow out of Peace Process?

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 November 2003, 12:53 GMT]
"The government believes it is not possible to deal with the peace process unless only one party is in charge. Full control over the peace process by one party is necessary if the peace process is to be effectively managed," said Prof. G. L. Peiris, the Leader of the Sri Lanka Government delegation to the Peace Negotiations with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in press briefing Sunday.
Full story >>

"Peace Process absolutely irreversible" - British Don

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 November 2003, 12:58 GMT]
"Tamil issue has always been a political football in the grounds of the Southern political discourse, but this time around the situation is entirely different. Transparency of talks and the high level of international engagement make the current Peace Process absolutely irreversible," said Sri Lanka expert Prof. Chris Smith, Director of Center for South Asia studies at the International Policy Institute, King's College, London when TamilNet asked him to comment on the recent constitutional crisis, precipitated by Sri Lanka's President Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge.
Full story >>

I shall take the defense of the country - SL president

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 November 2003, 16:46 GMT]
"The Ceasefire Agreement between the UNF government and the LTTE will continue and the Norwegian monitors will be allowed to function with clear instructions. The Sri Lanka Army will be instructed to strictly abide by the ceasefire agreement. The Prime Minister can continue with the peace process. I shall take the defense of the country," said Sri Lanka's President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, in her televised address to the country Friday night at about 9:45 p.m.
Full story >>

Emergency Regulations not gazetted

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 November 2003, 09:32 GMT]
"The recent changes effected to cabinet portfolios necessitated the formality of certain gazette notifications. The emergency regulations were also re-examined and revised," said a press statement from the Presidential Secretariat . The statement said further that "a state of emergency becomes law only after the President signs a proclamation. The President did not sign such a proclamation."
Full story >>

Wickremesinghe returns home from high profile US visit

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 November 2003, 02:56 GMT]
United National Front (UNF) government ministers, parliamentarians and party activists thronged the country's international airport and accorded warm welcome to the Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe when he returned home Friday morning around 8.00am after a high profile official tour to the United States of America (USA) after meeting President George W.Bush, political sources said.


Full story >>

No return to hostilities - PA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 14:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge, is committed to the continuity of the ceasefire agreement and to keeping open the channel of communication with the LTTE with the objective of arriving at a negotiated settlement within a united country, the Presidential Secretariat said in a press release issued Thursday evening. "The President wishes to assure the people of the country that there will be no return to hositilities," said the press release.


Full story >>

New chairman assumes duties at ANCL

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 12:44 GMT]
New chairman of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd ( ANCL), Mr. Kesaralal Gunasekara, appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunge, took over his duties Wednesday night visiting the news paper company with army and police security, sources in Colombo said.
Full story >>

UNF urges SL President to reconvene parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 11:49 GMT]
United National Front(UNF) government spokesman and Minister of Constitutional Affairs Mr. G.L.Peiris said Thursday that the President should summon the parliament immediately and to restore the three ministries to Ministers Mr.Tilak Marapone, Mr.John Amaratunge and Mr.Imtiaz Bakir Markar. "The government would decide on the future course of action once the Prime Minister returns home," said Mr.Peiris at the press briefing held Thursday afternoon, media sources said


Full story >>

Parties should look for common ground - Schaffer

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 11:31 GMT]
Teresita Schaffer, former Ambassador of the United States to Sri Lanka and currently Director for South Asia, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, told TamilNet Wednesday that it was "important for the government [of Sri Lanka] and the LTTE to start looking for common ground" and that she hoped "the current political crisis in Sri Lanka does not disrupt this vital task."


Full story >>

TNA urges Sri Lankan President to respect people's verdict

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 10:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to respect the verdict of the people at the parliamentary election held in December 2001. “Violation of democratic rules of Governance will inevitably lead to a situation of chaos and anarchy in the whole country,” the TNA said in a press release.
Full story >>

Sri Lanka's President sacks Ministers of Defense, Interior and Media

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 08:32 GMT]
The Presidential Secretariat Tuesday in a press release said that the President, Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge, has removed Mr.Tilak Marapone, Mr.John Amaratunga and Mr.Imtiaz Bakeer Markar from their posts as Minister of defense, interior and media respectively.
Full story >>

SLFP to reveal its stand on ISGA Tuesday

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 November 2003, 13:33 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), chief constituent of the main opposition Peoples Alliance Monday said it has put off the special press briefing which was scheduled to be held Monday to announce its stand on the proposed Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) for Tuesday. Meanwhile President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge has been holding intensive consultation with leaders and constitutional experts of the SLFP and other allied parties, media sources said.
Full story >>

SU demands Colombo to abandon peace process

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 November 2003, 17:03 GMT]
Extreme Sinhala nationalist party, Sihala Urumaya (SU), Sunday appealed to the United National Front (UNF) Government to terminate the peace talks with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the basis of the contents of the proposals for interim self-governing authority (ISGA), which the SU said will lead to the formation of a separate state, media sources said.
Full story >>