Addressing a news conference in Colombo today, the movement’s Executive Committee member Wimal Weerawansa claimed that the President’s take over of the defence, mass communication and interior ministries had no effect what so ever on the peace process. “The peace process has been stalled since April last year,” he said.

A general election will confirm the people’s decision on the present situation, whether they want the treacherous United National Front government to rule or another party to rule them, he said.

Weerawansa who is also the Propaganda Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna alleged that the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration had something up its sleeve following their decision to remove Air force security from the Bandaranaike International Airport. He added that the government was helping the LTTE to bring in weapons to the airport and allow an attack on it, and then blame it on President because she is in charge of the Defence and Interior ministries now. Published: Sun Jan 11 10:41:28 EST 2004

President Kumaratunga who hails from the Opposition had campaigned for the government Minister during the SAARC summit in Islamabad last week. She had requested all South Asian Nations to support Minister Tyronne Fernando.

Ms. Kumaratunga is reported to have tried talking the Minister into joining her party mid last year, a request firmly shot down by him. Political analysts are also claiming that the President’s move to support Fernando maybe with ‘vested interest’. “She maybe even trying to woo him into her party,” they alleged. Published: Sun Jan 11 09:18:39 EST 2004