TNA, UNP discuss aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 17:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday appealed to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to openly declare its full support to the joint mechanism proposal and to insist that the Sri Lanka Government sign the agreement before tabling it in the parliament. TNA parliamentary delegation led by its leader Mr.R.Sampanthan met with Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday afternoon and held discussions regarding the current political crisis following the withdrawal of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, TNA sources said.

TNA was invited to the meeting by the UNP Leader, TNA sources said.

TNA delegation comprised, in addition to Mr Sampanthan, parliamentarians Messrs Joseph Pararajasingham, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Nadaraja Raviraj. The discussion began around 12.30 p.m. and lasted one hour.

UNP Senior parliamentarian and former minister Prof. G.L.Peiris also participated in the discussions.

TNA delegation told the UNP leader that the joint mechanism proposal agreed by the government and the LTTE with the facilitation of the Norway should be signed without any further delay. The government could table the proposal in the parliament only after signing. The UNP also should take this stand, TNA sources said.

According to TNA sources, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe had assured the TNA that he is also of the view that the proposal must be signed before it is submitted to the parliament. "I also expressed this view to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Bandaranake Kumarathunga when I met her on last week," Mr Wickremesinghe told the TNA delegation. He also assured TNA parliamentarians that UNP will extend its fullest support for the JM proposal and will make UNP's stand public.