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PM initiates peace process

One Committee which the Prime Minister describes as the Consultative Committee will advise him on a political solution, and another team will arrange the preparatory work for negotiations while the third will look for alternative solutions.

The Prime Minister yesterday briefed his Cabinet Ministers regarding his plans on the process, a press release of the UNP media unit said last night.

Though the Prime Minister had not divulged the composition of the Consultative Committee in detail, he has told the meeting that it would contain several senior ministers.

He met his senior Cabinet Ministers yesterday at Temple Trees to seek their views on the peace process.

The Prime Minister will meet the Government Agent of Vavuniya this week and then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and also Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, as preliminary measures of the process. "The final decision on the procedures of the process will be taken after these meetings," he has told the Ministers.

"All earlier steps to find a political solution to the crisis failed due to the lack of a strong foundation. Therefore, we should study all past experiences and plan the future steps," the press release quoted Mr. Wickremesinghe as saying.

The Prime Minister has told the ministers that he will appoint another committee to organise the preparatory work for negotiations. A separate team will look for alternative solutions. This will comprise representatives from various sectors of society, he has said.

"We should not have high hopes. We should move forward step by step. This is not a path strewn with flowers. It is rough and difficult. We should remove all barriers on this rough path," the Premier has said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the news item carried in electronic and print media quoting the Foreign Minister stating that the LTTE should lay down arms as a precondition to peace talks is incorrect.

"The Government is prepared for unconditional talks, we are more concerned about the core issue," Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando has reiterated.

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