Govt. committed to peace process: Chandrika

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, MAY 29. The Sri Lanka President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, said today that she and her Government remained committed to the Norwegian-assisted process for a politically negotiated solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.

In a Sinhala interview to State television this evening, Ms. Kumaratunga said there was now a better environment than ever before in which to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table, and that the Government was trying to make the most of this opportunity.

There was no reference by her or by the interviewer to the recent demand of the LTTE for lifting the Government's ban on it as a pre-condition to participation in peace talks.

The Government has rejected the demand and the Oslo process for talks is perceived to have stalled on this issue, at least for the present.

Ms. Kumaratunga said the biggest beneficiaries of a quick settlement would be the Sinahlese people who send their children to fight the war and are wracked by the high cost of living due to heavy defence spending by the Government.

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Section  : International
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