No election for two years -President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 September 2001, 18:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge said Tuesday there wouldn't be any general election this year or next year. "Government officials should not think about a change of government in the near future. They must be prepared to implement all development projects already finalized in their areas," President Kumaratunge told a group of government officials working in the North-Central Province. The meeting was held at President's House.

Meanwhile the general secretary of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna Mr.Tilvin Silva addressing a meeting at Borella junction Tuesday evening said his party would not join any capitalist party in forming a government.

"The JVP has not agreed to form a government with People's Alliance. We have come to an understanding with the ruling PA to overcome the present political crisis and to hold a general election after one year under a caretaker government," said Mr.Tilvin Silva.

He added "the PA government has agreed not to implement any privatisation projects within the one year period of the probation government".

Meanwhile the Memorandum of Understanding between ruling People's Alliance and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on a common action programme would be signed Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the Bandaranaike International Memorial Hall.

Minister D.M.Jayaratne on behalf of PA and Tilvin Silva on behalf of JVP would sign the MOU, a government spokesman said.

Mr.Tilvin Silva said the question of finding a solution to the ethnic problem has not been included in the MOU between the two parties.