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| Friday, 15 October 2004 |
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| Govt's counter proposals ready, says Mangala by Manjula Fernando and Nadira Gunatilleke The Government said its counter proposals for an interim administrative structure in the North and East, in response to the set of ISGA proposals by the LTTE, were now ready and waiting an LTTE response. "We have completed the counter proposals and are ready to hand them over as soon as the LTTE is ready to receive it," Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Mangala Samaraweera told reporters at the weekly Cabinet briefing yesterday. Saying that the Government has done everything in its power to re-commence peace talks, the Minister said he had no idea of what was keeping the LTTE away. "We have fully adhered to the Ceasefire Agreement. Not a single violation of the CFA has been committed on the Government's part," he said adding that they were baffled as to why the peace talks cannot be re-commenced. "We are always ready to go back to the negotiating table to iron out differences face to face." The Minister expressed optimism that the LTTE stand may change following the tour by a Thamilselvam-led delegation in Europe. The LTTE delegation is on a three week tour to Europe since September 29. They have met Swiss and Dutch Government officials. Samaraweera said the counter proposals will be made public at the appropriate time but said it will be handed over to the LTTE first for their consideration. "Certainly we will make them public, we will not do anything behind their back," the Minister replied after being asked by a reporter if the proposals will be publicised. Referring to the UNP's boycott of the National Advisory Council on Peace and Reconciliation, Samaraweera said he was hopeful the Opposition Leader would reconsider his decision. The NACPR's objective is to create a national forum for peace talks to keep the country aware of its progress when it resumes and receives their feed back in turn. "This will function as a consultative forum and is not a substitute for the peace talks," the Minister explained. Inviting the Opposition Leader to get together and solve differences, the Cabinet spokesman said the UPFA and the UNP were on common ground with regard to the talks agenda that the final solution and the interim administration should be based on the Oslo Declaration. |
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