Sri Lanka revives devolution package

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 November 2000, 18:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Monday morning met the leader of the opposition and the United National Party, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at the Parliamentary Complex and discussed Norway's role in finding a negotiated political solution to the island's protracted ethnic conflict. The talks lasted over ninety minutes, parliamentary sources said.

The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition discussed talks held last week between Norway's Special Envoy, Erik Solheim, and the leader of the Liberation Tigers, Mr.Velupillai Pirapaharan and those between Mr. Solheim and Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge, sources said.

Meanwhile ruling party sources said that a special cabinet meeting is to be held on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments including the talks Mr. Solheim, had with Mr.Pirapaharan at Mallavi last week.

During the talks with the President, Oslo's special envoy was informed that President Kumaratunge's devolution package would be presented to the LTTE through Norway, political sources said.