"MoU contents will be divulged to nation" -UNF

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 February 2002, 19:22 GMT]
The United National Front Government said Tuesday that it would submit all details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and the Liberation Tigers on a long-standing cease-fire to the nation and the parliament once the parties concerned reached an agreement. "We have not finalised the contents of the proposed MOU brokered by the Norwegian facilitation. It is premature to express opinion on the proposed MoU based on news reports appeared in media," said Professor G.L.Peiris, a senior minister in the UNF government Tuesday in parliament.

Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, JVP parliamentarian with the permission of the Speaker made a statement in the parliament about the proposed MoU expected to be signed by the UNF government and the LTTE before February 24.

Mr.Weerawanse said, "according news reports about the MoU serious question has arisen regarding the sovereignty of the country. Both parties concerned have not rejected the contents of the news reports on the proposed MoU. This has given credibility to those reports. The government should clarify its position in this regard."

In reply Professor Peiris dismissed the allegations made by the JVP parliamentarian as baseless. "Final agreement has not been reached between the government and LTTE regarding the MoU. The government would not hide anything to the nation or to parliament. The government would divulge the details of the MoU to the nation and parliament once it came into force", said Prof. Peiris.

Meanwhile the New Left Front (NLF) has condemned the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, main constituent of the People's Alliance led by President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna for inciting communal feelings in an attempt to thwart the peace efforts now being taken forward with the Norwegian facilitation by the UNF government.

The Leader of the NLF Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne said at news conference Tuesday that his party would extend its fullest support to the peace efforts by the UNF government.