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President blames Prime Minister over peace process stalling
Alladin Hussein in Colombo,
February 3, 2004, 11.57 pm.
The Presidential Secretariat today claimed that despite President Chandrika Kumaratunga acting with ‘honesty and flexibility’ with the aim of reaching common grounds with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on several important issues including the stalled peace process, the Premier’s insistence that the Defence Ministry be returned to his government has led to the present deadlock.
Ms. Kumaratunga in early November last year took over the Ministries of Defence, interior and Mass communication citing security reasons.
The Secretariat also said that President Kumaratunga had agreed to give the government the necessary powers needed to take the peace process forward but had continued to insist that she keeps the defence portfolio, a suggestion turned down by Mr. Wickremesinghe.
According to Presidential Secretariat Director General Janadasa Peiris, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and his government have continued to maintain that the peace process could not be handled without full control of the defence ministry, a claim again turned down by President who cites that the constitution allows her to take charge of defence and any other ministry at any juncture.
“It is the President’s view that inspite of her goodwill, sincerity and flexibility to resolve this issue and arrive at a consensus to recommence the peace negotiations, which have been stalled since April 2003, the Premier’s insistence on the ‘control of the Defence Ministry and its key institutions and functions to carry out the peace process’ is the major obstacle in concluding an agreement and recommencing the peace negotiations,” Mr. Peiris said.
Published: Tue Feb 3 13:06:10 EST 2004
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