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| Monday, 11 October 2004 |
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| Priority should be given to peace talks - Opposition Leader Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga that she should give priority to hold talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."That is the position of the United National Party", he said in his reply to President's letter of October 3. UNP leader Wickremesinghe has reaffirmed that his party would not stand in the way, but, urged the President to commence talks with the LTTE with a clear policy and stand. "Peace talks can begin this way and there is no other way to take the peace process forward". He also has stated that she should resolve internal conflicts within her coalition so that the Norwegian-backed talks could resume. "When I met you I informed that if the talks are resumed with the LTTE based on the Tokyo and Oslo Declarations, our party would support you fully and I repeat our assurance. But It is a very well known fact that there are serious differences within your government. It is no secret of the position the JVP holds in this respect. What the entire country wants is for you to resolve these differences and to recommence peace talks. Once you resume peace talks we assure you of our support. I am also happy to learn that you are not going to use the National Advisory Council as a means to run away from the government's responsibility in this regard, the letter to the President stated. "Your letter has stated that the LTTE had rejected the proposals made by the previous government. But I wish to remind you that, that the government in July, 2003 made a third set of proposals including a proposal to set up an interim administrative structure. In reply the LTTE came out with the Interim Self Government Authority proposal on October 31 and the government made it known that it was completely contrary to the proposals made by the government. We told them that in both proposals there were items that both parties had not agreed. Although it was very evident there were vast differences of the stands taken by both parties, the government believed that through straight talks the parties could find a way to proceed forward". The LTTE did not reject this and the LTTE leader in his address at the November Heroes Day said that they did not reject the third set of proposals by the government:, the letter stated. The UNP will join the National Advisory Council once the government recommences the peace talks and when the core issues come up for such participation, Wickremesinghe stated in his reply to the President's letter of October 3 which was a reply sent to the UNP leader's letter of September 24. |
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