Talks in US to expand economic partnership

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 September 2004, 11:02 GMT]
United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Minister of Finance Dr. Sarath Amunugama is scheduled meet with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to apprise him of the economic policies of the Sri Lanka Government and, to discuss matters related to further broadening and deepening the US-Sri Lanka bilateral economic relationship. Said Embassy of Sri Lanka Washington DC Press release issued today.
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UNP rejects council, urges talks on ISGA

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 September 2004, 07:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s main opposition this weekend declined to join President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s ruling alliance in a ‘National Advisory Council’ on the Norwegian backed peace process, instead urging the government to resume talks with the Liberation Tigers on the basis of the latter’s interim administration proposals.
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TNA MPs meet Swiss Ambassador

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 September 2004, 10:35 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Foreign Affairs Committee which met with Swiss Ambassodor to Sri Lanka, Mr. Bernadino Regazzoni, at the Switzerland Embassy in Colombo Friday expressed their concern on the reluctance shown by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to take steps to restart the peace talks, and urged the ambassador to exert pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to actively seek ways to resume talks.
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UNP holds demonstration in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 September 2004, 23:27 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians, thousands of party cadres and activists joined a mass demonstration to protest against the worsening economic situation under the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government in front of the Colombo Fort railway station for nearly two hours Friday.
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UNP says planning first step to topple Kumaratunge govt

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 September 2004, 13:08 GMT]
The United National Party (UNP) will hold a mass demonstration in Colombo on September 24, Friday, to protest against the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government. UNP MPs Mr. Gamini Lokuge and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told a press conference in Colombo Tuesday, that the protest would be the first step to topple the UPFA Government, which has not fulfilled its promises to the people.
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Canadian Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 September 2004, 10:43 GMT]
Ambassador of Canada in Colombo, Valerie Raymond met with Head of the LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan in the LTTE Peace Secretariat building in Kilinochchi Monday, sources from Vanni said. The discussions centered on the peace process and the urgency of both parties, the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to show flexibility to resume the stalled peace talks.
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Solheim meets Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 September 2004, 03:10 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim met with the Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the latter's official residence Friday evening, on the eve of his departure after a five day stay in Sri Lanka, sources said.
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ISGA must form basis for talks- UNP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2004, 14:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday reiterated its stand that the future talks between the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) should commence on the basis of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA), said UNP's media spokesman and former minister Professor G.L.Peiris addressing a press briefing in Colombo.
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LTTE says ISGA proposals not final, open to discussion

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 September 2004, 00:28 GMT]
The LTTE said its interim administration proposals were not rigid or final and it was ready to negotiate the issue but it saw the lack of clarity on the part of the government as the main stumbling block, for the resumption of peace talks, the Daily Mirror reported Wednesday, quoting LTTE political wing leader, Mr S. P. Thamilchelvan.
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Solheim meets Government Peace Secretariat Head

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 16:18 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Eric Solheim Tuesday held wide range of discussion with Dr.Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the prospects of resuming peace talks between the GOSL and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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'Chauvinists see LTTE's development offices as camps' -TNA MP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2004, 02:39 GMT]
Chauvinist forces in the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government of Sri Lanka are saying that the offices the Liberation Tigers have constructed for rehabilitation and development efforts in Trincomalee are military camps in proximity to the government security installations, said Mr.Thurairatnesingham, the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian from Trincomalee, addressing a meeting following the opening of the Trincomalee district office of The Economic Consultancy House (TECH) Friday.


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Public sector employees to receive pay hike

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 September 2004, 00:05 GMT]
Public sector employees will be given a substantial salary increase in the maiden budget of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) scheduled to be presented on November 12 this year, said UPFA media spokesman and Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera addressing post -Cabinet press briefing Thursday.
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UNP urges UPFA government to commence peace talks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2004, 19:52 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) Thursday appealed to the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to commence peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as it has gained majority in the parliament.
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"UPFA will form a peace consultative committee"- Minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2004, 10:59 GMT]
"When peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers resume, the GoSL will form a consultative committee which will include representatives from all political parties. Sri Lanka's President will assume full responsibility for all political decisions regarding the peace process," said Leader of the House and General Secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Minister Maithiripala Sirisena, in the parliament today.
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JVP bent on inflaming the South against ISGA- paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2004, 10:41 GMT]
"Even though Sri Lanka's President Ms. Kumaratunge has cautioned the UPFA Ministers and parliamentarians not to air any views on the question of Interim Administration in public, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a minority partner in the UPFA government, is openly defying the request. JVP MP and General Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa, stated the very next day that the JVP would continue to oppose any discussions with the LTTE based on the latter's ISGA proposals," said Thinakural, a popular Tamil daily, in its editorial Wednesday.
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TNA urges President to commence talks with LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 September 2004, 08:00 GMT]
“The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) would strongly urge the Government to commence talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) without delay, on the basis of the Interim Self-Governing Authority proposals of the LTTE. and thereby implement the position enunciated by the President on 10 June, when she met the TNA delegation”, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader in a statement made in the parliament Tuesday morning.
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Sri Lanka President says will discuss peace with all

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 September 2004, 16:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Saturday that she would invite all parties and organisations concerned in the peace process for discussions on how to take forward negotiations with the Liberation Tigers in two weeks. She was addressing a rally in Galle, a large provincial town on the island’s southern coast, to mark the 53rd anniversary of her Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which was founded by her father, Mr. Solomon Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike. Speaking in Singhalese, President Kumaratunga vowed to do her best to bring the Liberation Tigers back to the negotiating table.
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Trinco rail, bus services in deplorable condition- MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 September 2004, 13:38 GMT]
Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham brought to the notice of the Transport Minister, Mr. Felix Perera, of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government the deplorable state of train and bus services in Trincomalee. Bus services to resettled villages in the Trincomalee district have been drastically curtailed due to acute shortage of buses thus causing severe transport difficulties to resettled families, the TNA MP complained.


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CWC will support Kumaratunga's government - Thondaman

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 September 2004, 08:39 GMT]
The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) said Friday it would support President Chandrika Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Front (UPFA), ending months of uncertainty over the future of her minority government. Mr. Arumugan Thondaman, leader of the CWC, said that his party's eight MPs will support the UPFA on issues from the ranks of the opposition. He said CWC will support the UPFA government without any conditions, to help it take forward the peace process. UPFA has 106 members in the 225 seat Sri Lankan Parliament, 7 short of the simple majority to run a stable government.
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Training for unemployed graduates

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 September 2004, 19:45 GMT]
One hundred fifty two graduates selected from the Trincomalee district in the first phase of the graduate employment scheme of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) began their three months training with the inaugural event held in Trincomalee Town Hall Thursday.
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