'Opposition instigating masses against peace process' - Peiris

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2003, 16:22 GMT]
“A conducive environment would be created to resume peace talks once the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] submitted its response to the Sri Lanka government's proposal on the establishment of the interim administration for the northeast province,” said Mr. G.L.Peiris, Constitutional Affairs Minister in the United National Front government of Sri Lanka and Cabinet spokesman, addressing the weekly press conference held Thursday.

Mr.Peiris warned that the opposition has been planning to instigate the masses against the peace process after the LTTE submits its response to the Sri Lanka government proposals on the IA, media sources said.

An attempt made by the opposition to stir India’s political leaders against the peace process had been prevented when Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, met with the Indian Prime Minister, Mr.A.B. Vajpayee, in America recently, sources said.

Mr.Peiris further said major political parties have agreed to the establishment of the interim administration for the northeast province. The People’s Alliance when it was in power had also agreed for the interim administration proposals, he reminded.

The LTTE has said that after its delegation has consultation with constitutional experts in Dublin in Ireland, it would submit its response on the interim administration proposals by the middle of October.

Mr. Peiris said that there could be difference of opinion between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the LTTE once the latter submitted its response to GoSL's proposals. “However we could overcome the obstacles through negotiations," he said.

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