UNP to attend next APRC meeting

COLOMBO: The UNP will attend the next round of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) meeting following the agreement with the SLFP to support the Government in its initiatives to resolve the national problem.

"We will send our representatives to the next APRC meeting," Party Chairman Rukman Senanayake said.

Asked to comment on the document released by the expert panel, Senanayake said they were waiting for the Government's official stance.

"We have agreed to support the Government in its initiatives to resolve the North-East conflict," he said.

"We understand the report is the recommendation of the expert panel and it is not necessarily the Government's stance," Senanayake said adding that they will back any Government move that will facilitate the resolution of the present conflict by peaceful means. He said the UNP was studying the experts' report.

Meanwhile, Committee Chairman Minister Tissa Vitharana said he was hopeful the UNP would attend the next round of meetings.

"The UNP said they need time to study the interim report and we are hopeful that the party will send their representatives to the APRC from the next meeting," the Minister said.

The APRC meeting is scheduled for next Monday, sans the JVP, sources said.

RS