PM meets prelates

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 April 2002, 16:02 GMT]
The Prime Minister Saturday told the prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters in Kandy that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam cannot open political offices outside the North-east province. "It will be a violation of the cease-fire agreement signed by the government and the LTTE if the latter decided to open its offices in other parts of the country," Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe said in reply to Mahanayake Theras when they questioned him about the news reports that LTTE is to open its office in Wellawatte, Colombo on Monday.
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Best hope for permanent peace ever -Ranil

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 April 2002, 18:19 GMT]
The chances for peace are better than ever, said Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Friday. "The hope for permanent peace has been built which is not witnessed before in this country," said the Prime Minister, addressing a conference at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall designed to educate the newly elected heads of local government institutions in the south.
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President's security chief arrested

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 April 2002, 10:41 GMT]
President's security division chief Mr.Nihal Karunaratne was arrested Tuesday evening at Colombo's leading private hospital, Navaloka by a team of criminal investigation department officials (CID) amidst tight security. Mr.Karunaratne is to be produced in Kandy magistrate's court Wednesday, CID sources said.
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UNF budget unfair by war ravaged NE - Gajendrakumar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 March 2002, 07:44 GMT]
"The United National Front (UNF) government's first budget has failed to treat the war ravaged northeast as a special zone for the development. The budget treats the northeast or rather, equates the northeast with the rest of island. Is this possible? Is this fair? How can a war zone for over twenty years be equated to other parts of the island?, asked Mr. Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna speaking on the United National Front government's first budget which was passed in Parliament Wednesday.
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PM says polls vote for peace

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 March 2002, 21:19 GMT]
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Thursday said that the majority of the people in the south have accepted the government's peace efforts and have given their consent to make it a success. Meanwhile the veteran trade unionist and the national organiser of the Democratic Left Front, Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakara said, "local government elections have greatly undermined the leadership of President Chandrika Kumaratunge."
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UNF's local polls victory endorses cease-fire agreement

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 March 2002, 13:22 GMT]
The ruling United National Front (UNF) swept the local government elections held Wednesday, routing the People's Alliance (PA) led by President Chandrika Kumaratunge. The UNF won 218 of the 222 local bodies, including 14 municipal councils and 25 urban councils. The Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, which hinged its election campaign on denouncing the peace deal the UNF made with the Liberation Tigers as an insidious conspiracy against the Sinhala people got an ignominious drubbing with only one local body to show in the southern Hambantota district.
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Top US official meets PM

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 March 2002, 19:43 GMT]
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca Friday afternoon held a discussion with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at Palaly air force base, where Jaffna District's main army headquarters is situated.
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UNF cabinet reshuffled after five postponements

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 February 2002, 09:31 GMT]
The five times postponed swearing in ceremony of eight new Cabinet ministers took place Thursday noon at the Presidential Secretariat. Mr.S.B.Dissanayake, one time ally and now an archrival of President Chandrika Kumaratunge took oaths as Minister of 'Samurdhi' (Poverty Alleviation) in addition to his Agricultural Ministry.
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Sihala Urumaya urges President to nullify MoU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2002, 20:18 GMT]
The Sihala Urumaya (SU), the hard-line Sinhala nationalist party, declared Tuesday that it would launch a campaign among the Sinhalese to urge President Chandrika Kumaratunga to use her executive powers to invalidate the cease-fire agreement between the United National Front government and the LTTE. Mr. Tilak Karunaratne, leader of the Sihala Urumaya (SU), addressing a press conference in Colombo Tuesday said that his party has decided to file a case on Thursday in the Court of Appeal seeking the nullification of the MoU and the cease-fire agreement as these, according to him have contravened the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
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Chandrika urged not to derail the peace process

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2002, 15:52 GMT]
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Sunday, a constituent of the main opposition People's Alliance (PA) appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the leaders of other political parties not to derail the peace process which is gathering momentum after signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United National Front (UNF) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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MoU debate in parliament on March 5

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 February 2002, 15:50 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Sunday said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the government and the LTTE could be debated on March 5 when the parliament resumes its sittings. "We are ready to reconvene the parliament as early as possible to debate the MoU", said sources close to Prime Minister's office.
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JVP wants urgent Parliament debate on MoU

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2002, 17:08 GMT]
The Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Saturday said that a memorandum with the signatures of forty parliamentarians has been submitted to the Speaker to summon the parliament immediately to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed between the United National Front government and the Tamil Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Friday.
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UNF rejects President's accusation on truce signing

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 February 2002, 17:08 GMT]
The United National Front (UNF) government Saturday rejected the accusations made by the Presidential Secretariat on the cease-fire agreement signed between the government and the Liberation Tigers were entirely incorrect. The Presidential Secretariat Friday blamed the UNF government that it signed the Memorandum of Understanding without informing the Cabinet.
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Kumaratunga expresses 'shock and dismay' over truce signing

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 February 2002, 19:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, expressed her "shock and dismay" at the government's hurried signing of a permanent ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers. In a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat, she lashed out at her arch-rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for not seeking her prior approval, describing his entering into the truce as "an undemocratic act."
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UNF govt to hold parliamentary debate on MoU

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 February 2002, 12:02 GMT]
The United National Front government said Thursday that it is willing to conduct a full parliamentary debate on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and the Liberation Tigers as soon as it is signed. "The MoU between the UNF government and the Liberation Tigers has not yet been finalised. The meeting of leaders of the political parties represented in the parliament would be summoned to fix the date for the debate, once the MoU came into force. The government is willing to hold a full debate on it if the opposition wanted," Mr.W.J.M.Loku Bandara, Leader of the House and Minister of Justice told parliament Thursday morning.
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Gen. Ratwatte indicted in massacre case

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 February 2002, 17:02 GMT]
The Attorney General Wednesday decided to indict the thirty-three suspects, including General Ratwatte in the Udathalawinne Murder case before a Trial at Bar inquiry. At a conference presided by the AG at his office Wednesday afternoon, it was decided to request the Chief Justice to nominate three High Court judges to the Trial at Bar inquiry, legal sources said. AG department sources said that this decision was taken to treat the Udathalawinne murder case as a special one.
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"Amended Local Govt. Ordinance in order"- Supreme Court

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 February 2002, 19:31 GMT]
The Supreme Court has held that the amended draft Local Government Ordinance bill, which empowers the Commissioner of Elections to postpone elections to local authorities under extra ordinary circumstances in certain areas, is not contrary to the present Constitution.The Speaker Mr.Joseph Michael Perera Tuesday informed the determination of the SC when the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Mr.Alick Aluwihare tabled the amended draft bill in parliament.
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"MoU contents will be divulged to nation" -UNF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 February 2002, 19:22 GMT]
The United National Front Government said Tuesday that it would submit all details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and the Liberation Tigers on a long-standing cease-fire to the nation and the parliament once the parties concerned reached an agreement. "We have not finalised the contents of the proposed MOU brokered by the Norwegian facilitation. It is premature to express opinion on the proposed MoU based on news reports appeared in media," said Professor G.L.Peiris, a senior minister in the UNF government Tuesday in parliament.
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People's Alliance warned against chauvinistic approach

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 February 2002, 18:24 GMT]
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party, a constituent in the People's Alliance (PA) led by President Chandrika Kumaratunge Saturday warned that it would withdraw its support to the PA if it indulged in inciting communal feeling during the forthcoming local government elections. The Leader of LSSP and the former Minister of Justice in the PA government Mr.Batty Weerakon said in a statement that "it would be a national crime if the main stream political parties deviated from the present supportive action to the peace initiatives mooted by the United National Front government
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Supreme Court scrutinises amended Local Government Act

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 February 2002, 18:46 GMT]
The Supreme Court Wednesday after considering the proposed Local Government Ordinance amendment bill referred to by the Executive Presidency to determine its constitutionality, announced that it would convey its determination to the President and the Speaker of the Parliament in due course. The bill was taken up for scrutiny Wednesday before a three member bench comprising of Justices S.W.B.Wadugodapitiya, D.P.S.Gunasekara and Ameer Ismail.
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