Colombo, Nov 15: Sri Lanka's main moderate Tamil Party today expressed shock over Norway's decision to suspend its peace efforts due to a feud between the President and Prime Minister. The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) said the decision announced by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen yesterday would hurt prospects for an early end to three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has claimed 60,000 lives.
"This decision of the Norwegians has shocked not only the Tamils, but also every section of people in this country," the TULF said. "This stagnant situation will seriously affect the economy and the future of the nation."
Norway was invited to help bring Tamil tiger rebels to the peace talks by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in December 1999, but her initiative was put on hold by April 2001.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who defeated Kumaratunga's party at parliamentary elections in December 2001, asked Norway to revive the peace bid and entered into a truce with the tiger rebels in February last year.
"The President should sort out the matters with the Prime Minister without delay and support the peace process," the TULF said in a statement.
The TULF is the main party in parliament representing the island's Tamil minority and has clashed in the past with the tigers, who have waged a bloody campaign to set up a separate Tamil homeland.
Bureau Report