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.
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Kadirgamar slams door on LTTE proposal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 07:44 GMT]
Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, advisor to President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s and Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister, slammed the Liberation Tigers’ proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority at a press conference in Colombo Wednesday to explain his party’s reaction to the LTTE’s suggestions. “We can in no way consider the LTTE’s proposal. It is totally unacceptable that they (Tigers) would have access rights to 2/3 of Sri Lanka’s coast. This is not negotiable”, the President’s confidante charged.
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Sri Lankan president moves to take over Ministry of Finance

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 06:56 GMT]
In a fresh move to take control of Ministry of Finance, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has sacked the Finance Minister of the country, Mr.K.N.Choksy. Secretary to the Finance Ministry, Mr. Charitha Ratwatte, is also removed, said sources in Colombo. Presidential secretariat denied the move while officials at Ministry of Finance confirmed it.
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Struggle to take Sri Lanka Parliament gathers pace

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 06:02 GMT]
Tamil and Muslim MPs and the Sinhala nationalist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna are set to play a key role as frantic efforts by President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People Alliance and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Front to cobble together a majority in Parliament before 19 November gathered momentum in Colombo Wednesday. Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Vanni told TamilNet: “We won’t go for horse deals. The TNA will take a principled stand in the interests of peace”.
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EU, UN, US express concern over SL situation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 21:37 GMT]
The European Union has expressed its concern over the action of Sri Lanka’s President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Tuesday to sack three government ministers and the deployment of troops in Colombo. “The Presidency of the European Union and the European Commission believe that the recent developments in Sri Lanka may put at risk the spirit of cohabitation [between the President and the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers] which has proven vital for the sustained forward momentum of the peace process," the EU said in a statement Tuesday.
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SL President's actions 'desperate' and 'irresponsible' -Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 21:26 GMT]
Responding to the actions of Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, who sacked three key ministers of the United National Front government and prorogued parliament Tuesday, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Prime Minister, currently visiting Washington, DC, said in a statement that the " irresponsible and precipitous actions of the President [are] aimed at plunging the country into chaos and anarchy."
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LTTE's proposals significant - Armitage

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 11:11 GMT]
"The LTTE's proposal is the first time I've seen such a comprehensive delineation of the aspirations of the LTTE, and in this regard I think it's significant." United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is reported to have told in a press meet in Washington.
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Troops deployed in city, Sri Lankan Parliament prorogued

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 November 2003, 09:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, prorogued the sittings of the Parliament until 19 November as Sri Lanka army took position at the state radio and TV stations and at Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s telecommunications nerve centre. Security has been tightened at the government printing press where the gazette notification of the President's proclamations is to be published and made law.
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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.
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SC entertains written submissions on Kumaratunga's petition

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 November 2003, 18:10 GMT]
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Monday entertained written submissions from the Counsels appearing for the petitioner, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the State in the inquiry into the petition seeking to resolve the issue of whether the executive president or the defense minister has the power over security of the country, legal sources said.
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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.
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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.
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Sri Lanka's President urged not to retake defense ministry

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 November 2003, 15:29 GMT]
The Mahanayake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters Sunday appealed to the President of Sri Lanka, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, not to retake the post of defense ministry thus plunging the country into crisis at a time Sri Lanka has joined the global community to establish peace in the country, media sources said.
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Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice to face impeachment motion

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 November 2003, 12:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court , Mr.Sarath N.Silva, is to face an impeachment motion in parliament shortly, according to a decision taken by the United Front National (UNF) government, ruling party parliamentary group sources said Sunday.


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SC concludes inquiry on SL President's petition

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 16:20 GMT]
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka Friday concluded its one-day inquiry into the application made by President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, to determine whether the Executive President or the Defense Minister has the executive powers regarding the country's security, legal sources said.
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'SL President's intereference could harm peace process'

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 15:40 GMT]
The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr.Jan Petersen, has warned the Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, that her continuous interference in the peace process could have serious consequences both on the peace process and Norway's role in the process, State controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said in its evening news broadcast, quoting Norwegian embassy spokesman in Colombo Friday.
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UNF to send LTTE proposals to all parties

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 15:08 GMT]
The Norwegian ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, Friday evening handed over the interim administrative structure proposals from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to the Constitutional Affairs Minister, Professor G.L.Peiris, at the latter's official residence in Colombo on his return from Kilinochchi, media sources said
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Navy occupation leaves cattle on the road

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 October 2003, 01:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy has barred cattle from grazing in Attavaniakulam pastureland in Thampalakamam in Trincomalee district as the pastureland falls within the newly expanded High Security Zone (HSZ), security sources said. While the cattle breeders bemoan the loss of prime grazing area, farmers are scrambling to safeguard their paddy crops in more than 5000 acres from wandering cattle.
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Helgesen to visit Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 October 2003, 18:39 GMT]
The Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, will arrive in Colombo on November 10 to revive the suspended peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said the GoSL's cabinet spokesman, Minister G.L.Peiris, at Thursday's press briefing held at Information Department office, media sources said.
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SL Govt. to issue statement on LTTE's proposals on IA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 October 2003, 16:06 GMT]
The United National Front government of Sri Lanka will issue a special statement on Saturday on the interim administrative structure proposal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is scheduled to be submitted to the government through the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Friday evening, Cabinet spokesman and UNF's Constitutional Affairs Minister, Professor G.L.Peiris, said at the weekly press briefing held Thursday at the government information department, media sources said.
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