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Chandrika, Ranil fail to resolve differences
Colombo, Dec 18: Sri Lanka is set for a prolonged period of uncertainty as President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have failed to agree on who should control the military, a senior official said today.
Colombo, Dec 18: Sri Lanka is set for a prolonged
period of uncertainty as President Chandrika Kumaratunga and
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have failed to agree on
who should control the military, a senior official said today.
Both sides agreed, however, to keep up negotiations
through senior officials to break the deadlock, but no
resumption of talks was likely till early next year,
government spokesman and negotiator G L Peiris said.
The dispute between the two leaders has also
seriously undermined the fragile peace process with the LTTE
and there was no agreement on re-starting it, he said.
"They have made progress on having a consensus on the
economy, good governance and things like that but on the key
issue of defence, there is no agreement," Peiris told
reporters here.
A four-member committee appointed by the two leaders had what was to be their last meeting Monday without a breakthrough. They later agreed to extended indefinitely their deadline.
A four-member committee appointed by the two leaders had what was to be their last meeting Monday without a breakthrough. They later agreed to extended indefinitely their deadline.
He said the major local government elections in
Sri Lanka early next year could endanger the fragile peace
process with Tamil Tiger rebels.
The provincial council elections should start by early
March and campaign could lead to attacks on the peace process
and undermine the ceasefire between government forces and
Tamil Tigers, Peiris said.
The dispute between the two leaders has seriously
undermined a Norwegian-backed process to end a decades-long
conflict with Tamil rebels and there was no agreement on
re-starting the peace initiative, Peiris said.
Bureau Report