Opposition parties should not disrupt peace process - LSSP

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 16:06 GMT]
The opposition parties in Sri Lanka should not derail or be hostile to the peace process for their own political gain, said the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in a statement to the public on Monday.

The statement said, “Though the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has temporarily suspended the peace talks with the United National front government, they are continuing to observe the ceasefire according to the agreement.”

“At this time, some opposition parties have jointly sent a letter to the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, asking her to remove Norway as a facilitator and to use her executive powers fully to disrupt the process,” the LSSP said. “This is a pernicious request that shows the opposition parties have no concern for restoring peace in the country and are evidently concerned about their own political gain. Such an attitude will prevent progress on any front in the country.”

“How can anyone remove Norway as the facilitator?” asked the LSSP, and said, “No one should forget that it was the President who brought in Norway as the facilitator. The LTTE should also compromise on its stand and participate in the Tokyo donor conference. But the government should expedite its efforts to resettle displaced people in the North-East.”