|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 19 January 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
| LTTE made use of ceasefire - Weerawansa by Trincomalee Correspondent JVP member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa said at a rally of the Patriotic National Movement held at the Trincomalee bus stand on Tuesday that according to the constitution the Prime Minister has no authority or power to sign any document pertaining to national security. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should not have signed the Memorandum of Understanding because he has no legal authority to do so. Weerawansa said the Premier has afforded an opportunity for the Tigers to strengthen themselves in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Now he (Premier) wants to withdraw from the peace process. If so he should resign from his portfolio and leave parliament. When the large gathering of people shouted that a general election is necessary, Weerawansa said Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign like a gentleman and face an election. Weerawansa further said the LTTE made use of the ceasefire to destroy the army intelligence unit and now they are planning to gradually drive the muslims out of the Eastern Province and thereafter chase the Sinhalese living in the Eastern Province. Members of Tamil organisation which oppose the LTTE have to live through fear of death at the hands of tigers. He said the MoU signed by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was nothing but a deed under which the Northern and Eastern Provinces were leased to Prabakaran. Wickremesinghe failed to keep his promises of improving the economy of the country to find employment for the youth and to carry on the peace process. Now he is planning to sell land, jungles and water resources to foreigners. Ven. Elle Gunawansa said this country was protected for the past several centuries by two parties the clergy and the laity. The clergy should strengthen themselves to protect and save this country in the future too with the assistance of patriotic laymen. He said it was late President J. R. Jayewardene who amalgamated the Northern and Eastern Provinces through a gazette notification. He requested President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to separate the two provinces and appoint two governors. This is very essential, he declared. He also requested the President to take action against those responsible for the destruction of the Army intelligence Unit at Millennium city. Members of Parliament Ramalingam Chandrasekeran said Trincomalee is a town where members of all three communities live happily. The present government is arranging to sell all the national wealth and resources to foreigners. All three communities should unite to stop this action. He said during the past two years the government has not taken steps to solve the problems of the ordinary man. The government has not done any good to any of these three communities. The other speakers included Ven. Damdara Amila, Dr. Wasantha Bandara, MP Gihan Perera, and Arjuna Ranatunga MP. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
