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LTTE asks intl community to push govt back to talks
Colombo, Jan 19: Sri Lanka`s Tamil Tigers today asked the international donor community to pressurise the government to resume peace talks and warned that a power struggle in Colombo could hurt the on-going ceasefire.
Colombo, Jan 19: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers today asked the international donor community to pressurise the government to resume peace talks and warned that a power struggle in Colombo could hurt the on-going ceasefire.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told representatives of donor countries and international aid agencies at a meeting in the rebel-held town of Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres north of here, that the power struggle between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremedinghe could "damage" the ceasefire.
The meeting came ahead of a review of progress later this week by Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi, who helped arrange a major aid pledging conference in June last during which donors pledged USD 4.5 billion in assistance.
LTTE's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said Kumaratunga sacked three ministers four days after the LTTE unveiled its blue print for a political settlement to end three decades of bloodshed.
Thamilselvan said that Kumaratunga's actions against the government of wickremesinghe had seriously affected the Norwegian-backed peace bid and undermined the ceasefire agreement.
"Hardly a week passed and the executive president, under the guise of a security threat to the nation, took over three vital ministries, vital to the maintenance of the ceasefire agreement, from the legislative prime minister leading to a virtual political crisis," he said.
Bureau Report
The meeting came ahead of a review of progress later this week by Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi, who helped arrange a major aid pledging conference in June last during which donors pledged USD 4.5 billion in assistance.
LTTE's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said Kumaratunga sacked three ministers four days after the LTTE unveiled its blue print for a political settlement to end three decades of bloodshed.
Thamilselvan said that Kumaratunga's actions against the government of wickremesinghe had seriously affected the Norwegian-backed peace bid and undermined the ceasefire agreement.
"Hardly a week passed and the executive president, under the guise of a security threat to the nation, took over three vital ministries, vital to the maintenance of the ceasefire agreement, from the legislative prime minister leading to a virtual political crisis," he said.
Bureau Report